hedge priest
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.64 in modern English
18
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "The Pedant, the Bragart, the Hedge-Prieſt, the Foole, and the Boy. / Abate throw at Nouum, and the whole world againe, / Cannot picke out fiue ſuch, take each one in his vaine."
- "HEDGEPRIEST, an illiterate unbenificed curate, a patrico."
- "The yeomen separated the incensed priests, who continued to raise their voices, vituperating each other in bad Latin, which the Prior delivered the more fluently, and the Hermit with the greater vehemence. The Prior at length recollected himself sufficiently to be aware that he was compromising his dignity, by squabbling with such a hedge-priest as the Outlaw’s chaplain, and being joined by his attendants, rode off with considerably less pomp, and in a much more apostolical condition, so far as worldly matters were concerned, than he had exhibited before this rencounter."
Etymology
From hedge (“third-rate”) + priest. To imply such a priest "plying one's trade under a hedge." Compare hedge alehouse, hedge whore.