proselyte

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: pros=e=lyte

CIDE DICTIONARY

proselyte, n. [OE. proselite, OF. proselite, F. proselytus, Gr. , adj., that has come, n., a new comer, especially, one who has come over from heathenism to the Jewish religion; toward, to + (prob.) the root of to come.].

 A new convert especially a convert to some religion or religious sect, or to some particular opinion, system, or party; thus, a Gentile converted to Judaism, or a pagan converted to Christianity, is a proselyte.  [1913 Webster]
"Ye [Scribes and Pharisees] compass sea and land to make one proselyte."  [1913 Webster]
"Fresh confidence the speculatist takes
From every harebrained proselyte he makes."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- See Convert.

proselyte, v. t. 

 To convert to some religion, opinion, or system; to bring over.  Dr. H. More.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

proselyte, n. & v.
--n.
1 a person converted, esp. recently, from one opinion, creed, party, etc., to another.
2 a Gentile convert to Judaism.
--v.tr. US = PROSELYTIZE.

Derivative

proselytism n.

Etymology

ME f. LL proselytus f. Gk proseluthos stranger, convert (as PROS-, stem eluth- of erkhomai come)

THESAURUS

proselyte

Christian, God-fearing man, accepter, apostate, apostle, backslider, believer, bolter, catechumen, churchgoer, churchite, churchman, collaborationist, collaborator, communicant, convert, daily communicant, defector, deserter, devotee, devotionalist, disciple, fanatic, fifth columnist, follower, good Christian, mugwump, neophyte, pietist, quisling, receiver, recidivist, recreant, religionist, renegade, renegado, renegate, reversionist, runagate, saint, schismatic, seceder, secessionist, separatist, strikebreaker, tergiversant, tergiversator, theist, traitor, truster, turnabout, turncoat, turntail, votary, zealot

ROGET THESAURUS

proselyte

Tergiversation

N tergiversation, change of mind, change of intention, change of purpose, afterthought, tergiversation, recantation, palinode, palinody, renunciation, abjuration, abjurement, defection, going over, apostasy, retraction, retractation, withdrawal, disavowal, revocation, revokement, reversal, repentance, redintegratio amoris, coquetry, vacillation, backsliding, volte-face, turn coat, turn tippet, rat, apostate, renegade, convert, pervert, proselyte, deserter, backslider, blackleg, crawfish, scab, mugwump, recidivist, time server, time pleaser, timist, Vicar of Bray, trimmer, ambidexter, weathercock, Janus, changeful, irresolute, ductile, slippery as an eel, trimming, ambidextrous, timeserving, coquetting, revocatory, reactionary, a change came o'er the spirit of my dream.

Learner

N learner, scholar, student, pupil, apprentice, prentice, journeyman, articled clerk, beginner, tyro, amateur, rank amateur, abecedarian, alphabetarian, alumnus, eleve, recruit, raw recruit, novice, neophyte, inceptor, catechumen, probationer, seminarian, chela, fellow-commoner, debutant, intern, resident, schoolboy, fresh, freshman, frosh, junior soph, junior, senior soph, senior, sophister, sophomore, questionist, undergraduate, graduate student, law student, medical student, pre-med, post-doctoral student, post-doc, matriculated student, part-time student, night student, auditor, class, grade, seminar, form, remove, pupilage, disciple, follower, apostle, proselyte, fellow-student, condisciple, school, in statu pupillari, in leading strings, practise makes perfect.