ostiary
ostiary · ostiaries
One who keeps the door, especially the door of a churchOne who keeps the door, especially the door of a church; a porter.
/ˈɒsti.əɹi/
Meaning
2 sensesOne who keeps the door, especially the door of a church; a porter.
(archaic)The mouth of a river; an estuary.
More definitions
- the lowest of the minor Holy Orders in the unreformed Western Church but now suppressed by the Roman Catholic Church
- someone who guards an entrance
Origin
Borrowed from Latin ostiārius, from ostium (“door, entrance”). See usher, which may be a dBorrowed from Latin ostiārius, from ostium (“door, entrance”). See usher, which may be a doublet.
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Forms
plural: ostiariesSynonyms
6 synonymsClose in meaning
- the lowest of the minor Holy Orders in the unreformed Western Church but now suppressed by the Roman Catholic Church:doorkeeperostiarius
- someone who guards an entrance:doorkeeperdoor guardhall porterportergatekeeper
Word family
1 related wordsDerivedostiariate