clerk

views updated Jun 08 2018

clerk / klərk/ • n. 1. a person employed in an office or bank to keep records and accounts and to undertake other routine administrative duties: a bank clerk. ∎  an official in charge of the records of a local council or court: a clerk to the court. ∎  a person employed by a judge, or being trained by a lawyer, who does legal research, etc. ∎  a lay officer of a cathedral, parish church, college chapel, etc.: a chapter clerk.2. (also desk clerk) a receptionist in a hotel. ∎  an assistant in a store; a salesclerk.3. (also clerk in holy orders) formal a member of the clergy.• v. [intr.] work as a clerk: eleven of those who left college this year are clerking in auction houses.DERIVATIVES: clerk·ish adj.

clerk

views updated May 21 2018

clerk ordained minister of the Church XI; learned man, scholar XIII; lay officer of a church (e.g. singing c., parish c.); one having charge of records, correspondence, or accounts XVI. Late OE. cler(i)c — ecclL. clēricus CLERIC; this merged with ME. clerc — (O)F. clerc, of the same orig. The sp. clark appears XV.
Hence clerkly adj. XVI; modelled on clerkly adv. XV, which is after late L. clēricāliter; see -LY 1, -LY 2.

Clerk

views updated Jun 27 2018

CLERK

A person employed in an office or government agency who performs various tasks such as keeping records or accounts, filing, letter writing, or transcribing. One who works in a store and whose job might include working as a cashier, selling merchandise, or waiting on customers.

A law clerk is either a law student employed by a licensed attorney to do mundane legal tasks and learn the law in the process, or a licensed lawyer working for a judge to aid in the writing and research of the cases before the judge.

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