anagnost

noun

an·​ag·​nost

ˈaˌnagˌnäst

variants or anagnostes

ˌ⸗ˌ⸗ˈnäˌstēz

plural anagnosts

-sts

or anagnostae

-ˌstī,

-ē

: a cleric in the first of the minor orders of the Eastern Church who reads lessons aloud from the Epistles or the Old Testament in the liturgy

Word History

Etymology

Late Greek anagnōstēs, from Greek, reader, slave trained to read, secretary, from anagignōskein to read, from ana- + gignōskein to know

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined above

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