ETYM AS. arcediacon, archidiacon, Latin archidiaconus, from Greek. Related to Arch-, pref., and Deacon.
(Anglican Church) An ecclesiastical dignitary usually ranking just below a bishop.
Originally an ordained dignitary of the Christian church charged with the supervision of the deacons attached to a cathedral. Today in the Roman Catholic church the office is purely titular; in the Church of England an archdeacon still has many business duties, such as the periodic inspection of churches. It is not found in other Protestant churches.