I have never been great with vocabulary or using the proper terms for things, and I came up for nicknames or unofficial terms for these before I learned of the correct term (you will see them following aka in brackets in this glossary). And given that Anglicanism has such a long history, it has developed its own unique vocabulary and jargon that outsiders may not understand. I hope this glossary is a place where non-Anglicans, new Anglicans, and perhaps cradle Anglicans, as well, can use to help decipher the language of Anglicanism. These terms might not be exclusively used in Anglicanism, as many terms were inherited from the Roman Catholic Church (all the Latin) and other influences on the Anglican Church. There are many other Anglican/Episcopalian glossaries out there, so this will not be as complete as those, but I will put terms that have come up in my Anglican formation (that may have “burned me” in the past) and I will try to explain things in simple language, using humour whenever possible.
Note: While I strive for gender neutral language whenever possible, some of the unofficial terms that I came up with before I knew their official names are not gender neutral, but that’s how I know them, so it would be awkward to change them.
Ablutions: The liturgical cleaning of the sacred vessels (chalice, paten, etc.)
Acolyte/Altar Server: A person who assists with divine service, usually not ordained (e.g. laity), often children.
Alb: An ankle-length white sleeved garment worn by sacred ministers at Holy Eucharist over a cassock. Albs are usually only worn by Anglo-Catholics now as most modern Anglicans wear the Cassock-Alb, a one-piece vestments that combines the qualities of both a cassock and an alb.
Amice: A white cloth that used to be a hood, but became a sweat band that protected the vestments from the wearer’s sweat and oils. Amices are typically only seen in Anglo-Catholic churches. An apparelled amice is an amice that has an extra layer of decoration put on top of it that looks like a stiff collar, which usually matches the vestment worn.
Anthem/Antiphon: A piece of sacred music (e.g. where the words are taken from scripture) sung by the choir. (see also Canticle and Motet)
Archbishop: (aka Super-Bishop) A bishop of a metropolitan (a group of dioceses) include the Primate. Technically, in the Anglican tradition, there are only three levels of clergy: bishop, priest, and deacon, so an Archbishop is just a bishop with more responsibility.
Aumbry. A place to store the reserved sacrament and holy oils.
Cassock: An ankle-length sleeved garment worn by clergy and laity who perform worship functions, such as the choir. It is usually black, but can be other colours. There are two styles of cassocks, a single-breasted version called a Roman-style cassock, and a double-breasted version called an Anglican-style cassock.
Canticle: A sacred song, but can be said instead of sung.
Cantor: A singer who leads the singing of a psalm or a set of responses.
Cathedral: The church where a bishop’s cathedra (chair/throne) is located, so the main church of a diocese. Think of it as the regional headquarters church.
Chancel: The area at the front of the church, usually where the altar and choir are located.
Chapter: (usually used in the phrase “Dean and Chapter”) A group of people, usually clergy, that assist and advise the diocesan bishop.
Chausble: (aka Priestly Poncho): A sleeveless vestment wore by the celebrant at Holy Eucharist
Cincture (girdle): A rope or ribbon belt worn around the waist on top of an alb or habit.
Cotta: A short surplice, usually worn by servers to ensure their sleeves do not interfere with their duties.
Crucifer: (aka Cross guy) A person who carries the processional cross.
Dalmatic: A sleeved vestment worn by deacons at Holy Eucharist. (D is for Deacon)
Daily Office: A set of prayers of monastic origins that occurs at specific times of the day. In the Book of Common Prayer, the two main offices are Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer.
Dean: A rector of a cathedral.
Epistle Side: (Liturgical South) The side where the Epistle is read. Traditionally, the south was where the “civilized” Christians lived, so they had already familiar with the gospel.
Episcopalian: A member of the Episcopal Church, usually the Scottish Episcopal Church or the Episcopal Church of the USA (ECUSA). They are part of the Anglican Communion and are considered Anglicans, they just have a different name because the Scottish didn’t want to be associated with the English (Anglican) church. The ECUSA trace their origins from the Scottish Episcopal Church, and also they probably didn’t want to be associated with the English church following the American Independence.
Euouae: An abbreviation used in psalters or liturgical books to stand for saeculorum Amen (World without end, Amen)
Feast (or Festival): A holy day that celebrates or commemorates a saint. One may choose to feast (eat large quantities of food) on a feast day.
Frontal: A decorated piece of fabric that one puts on the front of an altar. If there is a smaller piece of fabric that goes on top of the frontal, it is called a super-frontal.
Gospel Side: (Liturgical North) The side where the Gospel is read. Traditionally, north was where the “savage” pagans lived, so they needed to hear the gospel.
“Green Book”: The Book of Alternative Services (BAS), because it has a green cover.
Incipit: The nickname or short title of a text (usually a psalm).
Intercession: Prayers to intecede or ask on someone else’s behalf. Sometimes used interchangeably with prayers of the people.
Incline: An archaic term for bowing.
Lay person/Laity: Someone who is not clergy (e.g. not ordained), a regular person.
Liturgical East: Traditionally churches were built on a East-West axis, but sometimes modern churches don’t follow that rule, but the side where the (high) altar is located, or the front of the church (the back of the church being where the nave and often entrance is located). There’s a bunch of reasons why churches face east, but the usual explanation is that the direction the sun rises and a symbol of Christ (light, second coming, etc.).
Motet: A piece of sung sacred music that is usually unaccompanied.
Nave: The area where the congregation usually sits and worships. Often it is the largest part of the church.
Oblation: An offering (usually of the self)
Parish: A defined geographic area that is served by a church (sometimes more than one).
Pavement Lights: Candles that sit on the ground (as opposed to altar lights which are candles that sit on the altar).
Precentor: (not presenter as I thought for the longest time) Someone, usually clery, who prepares worship or assists with the liturgy or choir. In a cathedral, they usually have a stall or seat across from the Dean.
Preces: Responsive prayers, usually at the beginning of the Daily Offices. (The pronounciation of this word can be hotly debated.)
Priest-in-Charge: A non-permanent priest in charge of a parish.
Primate: (not a monkey) The head of a province of an Anglican Church.
Province: A member church of the Anglican Communion, not a civil area of land.
Quire: an old way of spelling choir, but now usually refers to the area where the choir sits.
Rector: A permanent priest in charge of a parish (see Priest-in-Charge)
“Red Book”: The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) Canada 1962, because it has a red cover.
Reredos: The decorations behind and above an altar.
Rood (Screen): A rood is a large cross that the congregants see above the entrance to the chancel. A rood screen is a partition of wood, stone, or other materials below the rood. If a church has a rood screen, it usually means it’s an Anglo-Catholic church or a very old church (most rood screens were taken out during the Reformation.
Sacristan: A person who prepares the items required for worship (e.g. sacred vessels, books, candles, linens, altar hangings, vestments) and spends a lot of time in the sacristy. If there are multiple people who do that, they are usually called the Altar Guild and the senior person is called the Sacristan.
Sacristy: A room where clergy and other sacred ministers prepare for worship.
Spire: A pointy tower
Suffragan bishop: (not Suffering bishop) A bishop who does not have jurisdiction of a diocese, usually assists and supports a diocesan or metropolitan bishop.
Surplice: A white knee-length sleeved garment worn over a cassock.
Synod: A meeting of church leadership, usually both clergy and laity.
Taperer/Torchbearer: (aka Candlestick dude). A person, usually an acolyte, who carries the ceremonial candlesticks/torches.
Thurifer: (aka Incense dude) A person who carries the thurible (incense holder).
Transept: In a church built with a cross layout, the “sides” or arms of the church.
Tunicle: A sleeved vestment worn by a sub-deacon. It looks like a dalmatic, but usually with less decoration.
Verger: A person who carries a verge (a decorated stick or wand) who oversees worship services and ensures it runs smoothly, they usually escort clergy and readers from their seats to the lectern/pulpit, and often look angry while carrying out their duties. Usually only found in larger churches, but some small parish churches have vergers.
Vestments: The clothing used for worship. As one of my wiser friends told me “priests wear vestments, judges wear robes, and academic wear gowns.”
Vestry: A place to vest (or get dressed)
High Anglican Haligonian 