PARSON, noun p'arsn. 1. The priest of a parish or ecclesiastical society; the rector or incumbent of a parish, who has the parochial charge or cure of souls. It is used in this sense by all denominations of christians; but among independents or congregationalists it is merely a colloquial word. 2. A clergyman; a man that is in orders or has been licensed to preach.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI