From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Clerk \Clerk\ (kl[~e]rk; in Eng. kl[aum]rk; 277), noun [Either OF. clerc, fr. L. clericus a priest, or AS. clerc, cleric, clerk, priest, fr. L. clericus, fr. Gr. klhriko's belonging to the clergy, fr. klh^ros lot, allotment, clergy; cf. Deut. xviii. 2. Cf. {Clergy}.]
1. A clergyman or ecclesiastic. [Obs.]
All persons were styled clerks that served in the church of Christ. --Ayliffe.
2. A man who could read; a scholar; a learned person; a man of letters. [Obs.] ''Every one that could read . . . being accounted a clerk.'' --Blackstone.
He was no great clerk, but he was perfectly well versed in the interests of Europe. --Burke.
3. A parish officer, being a layman who leads in reading the responses of the Episcopal church service, and otherwise assists in it. [Eng.] --Hook.
And like unlettered clerk still cry ''Amen''. --Shak.
4. One employed to keep records or accounts; a scribe; an accountant; as, the clerk of a court; a town clerk.
The clerk of the crown . . . withdrew the bill. --Strype.
Note: In some cases, clerk is synonymous with secretary. A clerk is always an officer subordinate to a higher officer, board, corporation, or person; whereas a secretary may be either a subordinate or the head of an office or department.
5. An assistant in a shop or store. [U. S.]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
2: a salesperson in a store [syn: {salesclerk}, {shop clerk}]
verb
1: work as a clerk, as in the legal business
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
210 Moby Thesaurus words for "clerk": Bible clerk, Bible reader, CA, CPA, DD, Doctor of Divinity, Federal, Holy Joe, abbe, academician, accountant, accountant general, acolyte, actuary, agent, almoner, amanuensis, anagnost, archivist, auditor, baggage agent, bank accountant, bank examiner, beadle, bedral, bookkeeper, bookman, business agent, calculator, calligrapher, capitular, capitulary, certified public accountant, chaplain, chartered accountant, chirographer, choir chaplain, churchman, churchwarden, claim agent, classicist, clergyman, cleric, clerical, colossus of knowledge, commercial agent, commission agent, comptroller, consignee, controller, copier, copyist, cost accountant, cost keeper, curate, cure, customer agent, deacon, deaconess, divine, documentalist, dupe, ecclesiastic, elder, elderman, engraver, factor, fed, federal agent, filing clerk, floorwalker, freight agent, functionary, general agent, genius, giant of learning, humanist, implement, ink spiller, inkslinger, instrument, insurance agent, journalizer, land agent, law agent, lay elder, lay reader, learned clerk, learned man, lector, lecturer, letterer, librarian, literary agent, literary man, litterateur, loan agent, lover of learning, man of God, man of learning, man of letters, marker, mastermind, military chaplain, mine of information, minister, news agent, notary, notary public, official, padre, parish clerk, parliamentary agent, parson, passenger agent, pastor, pen, pencil driver, penman, penner, philologist, philologue, philomath, philosophe, philosopher, polyhistor, polymath, preacher, precentor, press agent, prothonotary, pundit, puppet, purchasing agent, reader, real estate agent, reckoner, record clerk, recorder, recording secretary, recordist, rector, register, registrar, reverend, ruling elder, sacrist, sacristan, sales agent, sales engineer, sales force, sales manager, sales personnel, salesclerk, salesgirl, saleslady, salesman, salespeople, salesperson, saleswoman, savant, scalper, scholar, scholastic, schoolman, scorekeeper, scorer, scribbler, scribe, scrivener, secretary, seller, selling agent, servant of God, sexton, shames, shepherd, shop assistant, shop clerk, sidesman, sky pilot, special agent, station agent, stenographer, steward, stonecutter, store clerk, student, succentor, suisse, supply clergy, supply minister, teaching elder, the Reverend, the very Reverend, theatrical agent, thurifer, ticket agent, ticket scalper, timekeeper, tonsured cleric, tool, transcriber, travel agent, verger, vergeress, walking delegate, walking encyclopedia, word-slinger, writer
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