abbé

noun

ab·​bé a-ˈbā 

ˈa-ˌbā

: a member of the French secular clergy in major or minor orders

—used as a title

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, literally, "abbot" (extended as a title to nonresident abbots and hence to any clergyman in a secular environment), going back to Old French abé, going back to Late Latin abbāt-, abbās abbot

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above