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Glite Dictionary
bedesman

bedesman

9.9
A man paid in the past to pray for a dead person's soul
  • noun
  • /ˈbɛdɪzˌmæn/
  • Archaic
translation icon : orante
  • In medieval times, a bedesman would recite prayers for the deceased benefactor.

Examples

  • The wealthy noble left funds to support a bedesman in his local church.

  • The historian discovered records of a bedesman employed by the monastery in the 15th century.

  • The bedesman prayed daily for the souls of the departed.

  • Many families employed bedesmen during the Middle Ages.

  • In medieval times, a bedesman would recite prayers for the deceased benefactor.

  • The wealthy noble left funds to support a bedesman in his local church.

  • The historian discovered records of a bedesman employed by the monastery in the 15th century.

Synonyms

beadsman
vsbedesman
  • Archaic
9.9

A man paid in the past to pray for another person's soul

is the same meaning but spelled differently in some texts
bedeswoman
vsbedesman
  • Archaic
9.9

A woman paid or supported to pray for another person's soul, often in the Middle Ages

is the male counterpart, referring to a man paid to perform the same prayers

Surface Forms

bedesman singular
bedesmen plural

Etymology

The word bedesman comes from the old word bede meaning 'prayer' and man meaning 'person'. So a bedesman was literally a 'prayer person' who was paid or supported to pray for someone's soul, and you can remember it by thinking of bead as in 'prayer beads'.