chaplain
noun /ˈtʃæplɪn/
/ˈtʃæplɪn/
- a priest or other Christian minister who is responsible for the religious needs of people in a prison, hospital, etc. or in the armed forces compare padre, priestTopics Religion and festivalsc2Oxford Collocations DictionaryChaplain is used after these nouns:
- army
- prison
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French chapelain, from medieval Latin cappellanus, originally denoting a custodian of the cloak of St Martin, from cappella, originally ‘little cloak’, diminutive of cappa ‘cap or cape’.