catechumen
nounUK /ˌkæt.ɪˈkjuː.mɛn/ · US /ˌkæt.əˈkju.mən/
Etymology From Middle English cathecumynys pl, from Middle French cathecumin (modern French catéchumène) or Ecclesiastical Latin catēchūmenus, itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek κατηχούμενος (katēkhoúmenos, “being instructed”), present participle passive of κατηχέω (katēkhéō, “sound through, instruct orally, catechise”), from κατά (katá, “down”) + ἠχή (ēkhḗ, “sound”).
1
A student of Christian doctrine who studies it for the purpose of adopting it: either a convert to Christianity under instruction before baptism or a young or recent Christian preparing for confirmation.
- Here in this room an old man had killed and boiled a catechumen, had committed sodomy with a rat, had discussed a rodent nunhood with V., a future saint – depending which story you listened to.1963, Thomas Pynchon, V.:
- Derived terms
- catechumenal, catechumenate, catechumenism, catechumenist, catechumenship
- Related terms
- catechesis, catechetics, catechise, catechism, catechization, catechisation, catechize