proselyte

views updated May 23 2018

pros·e·lyte / ˈpräsəˌlīt/ • n. a person who has converted from one opinion, religion, or party to another, esp. recently. ∎ a Gentile who has converted to Judaism.• v. another term for proselytize.DERIVATIVES: pros·e·lyt·ism / -ləˌtizəm/ n.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

proselyte

views updated May 18 2018

proselyte XIV. — ChrL. prosḗlytus — Gr. prosḗluthos stranger, sojourner (LXX), convert to Judaism (N.T.), f. 2nd aorist stem (prosēluth-) of prosérkhesthai come to, approach.
Hence proselytize XVII.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

proselyte

views updated May 21 2018

proselyte a person who has converted from one opinion, religion, or party to another, especially recently. Recorded from late Middle English, the word comes via late Latin from Greek prosēluthos ‘stranger’.

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ELIZABETH KNOWLES