noun
sexton
SEKS-tun/ˈsekstən/
An officer responsible for caring for a church and its grounds.
The sexton keeps the church clean and tends its grounds.
Etymology
A sacristanus looked after a church’s sacred vessels, vestments, and valuables. That custodial role developed into the sexton’s care of the church building and grounds.
In context
conducts man at a slower pace to the sexton.
More examples
- Our sexton unlocks the church before Sunday services.
- The sexton rings the church bells at noon.
- Two sextons share responsibility for maintaining the church and cemetery.
Forms
sexton · sextons
Similar words
- caretaker
- Maintains property generally, not specifically a church or its grounds.
- custodian
- Focuses on building cleaning and upkeep, without a church-specific role.