almoner

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: al=mon=er

CIDE DICTIONARY

almoner, n. [OE. aumener, aulmener, OF. almosnier, aumosnier, F. aumônier, fr. OF. almosne, alms, L. eleemosyna. See Alms.].

•  One who distributes alms, esp. the doles and alms of religious houses, almshouses, etc.; also, one who dispenses alms for another, as the almoner of a prince, bishop, etc.  [1913 Webster]
•  A social worker in a hospital.  [PJC]
•  An official in a hospital whose job it is to calculate how much a patient must pay for treatment.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

almoner, n.
1 Brit. a social worker attached to a hospital and seeing to the after-care of patients.

Usage

Now usu. called medical social worker.
2 hist. an official distributor of alms.

Etymology

ME f. AF aumoner, OF aumonier, ult. f. med.L eleemosynarius (as ALMS)

ROGET THESAURUS

almoner

Treasurer

N treasurer, bursar, bursary, purser, purse bearer, cash keeper, banker, depositary, questor, receiver, steward, trustee, accountant, Accountant General, almoner, liquidator, paymaster, cashier, teller, cambist, money changer, financier, Secretary of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, minister of finance.

Clergy

N clergy, clericals, ministry, priesthood, presbytery, the cloth, the desk, clergyman, divine, ecclesiastic, churchman, priest, presbyter, hierophant, pastor, shepherd, minister, father, father in Christ, padre, abbe, cure, patriarch, reverend, black coat, confessor, dignitaries of the church, ecclesiarch, hierarch, ebdomarius, eminence, reverence, elder, primate, metropolitan, archbishop, bishop, prelate, diocesan, suffragan, dean, subdean, archdeacon, prebendary, canon, rural dean, rector, parson, vicar, perpetual curate, residentiary, beneficiary, incumbent, chaplain, curate, deacon, deaconess, preacher, reader, lecturer, capitular, missionary, propagandist, Jesuit, revivalist, field preacher, churchwarden, sidesman, clerk, precentor, choir, almoner, suisse, verger, beadle, sexton, sacristan, acolyth, acolothyst, acolyte, altar boy, chorister, Pope, Papa, pontiff, high priest, cardinal, ancient flamen, flamen, confessor, penitentiary, spiritual director, cenobite, conventual, abbot, prior, monk, friar, lay brother, beadsman, mendicant, pilgrim, palmer, canon regular, canon secular, Franciscan, Friars minor, Minorites, Observant, Capuchin, Dominican, Carmelite, Augustinian, Gilbertine, Austin Friars, Black Friars, White Friars, Gray Friars, Crossed Friars, Crutched Friars, Bonhomme, Carthusian, Benedictine, Cistercian, Trappist, Cluniac, Premonstatensian, Maturine, Templar, Hospitaler, Bernardine, Lorettine, pillarist, stylite, abbess, prioress, canoness, religieuse, nun, novice, postulant, prophet, priest, high priest, Levite, Rabbi, Rabbin, Rebbe, scribe, mullah, muezzin, ayatollah, ulema, imaum, imam, sheik, sufi, kahin, kassis, mufti, hadji, dervish, fakir, faquir, brahmin, guru, kaziaskier, poonghie, sanyasi, druid, bonze, santon, abdal, Lama, talapoin, caloyer, the Reverend, the very Reverend, the Right Reverend, ordained, in orders, called to the ministry.