different between virge vs verger

English

Noun

virge (plural virges)

1. (obsolete) A wand.

Anagrams

• Viger, giver

Old French

Adjective

virge m (oblique and nominative feminine singular virge)

1. Alternative form of verge (virgin)

English

Alternative forms

• virger

Etymology

From verge (“rod”) +? -er.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?v??d???/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?v?d???/
• Rhymes: -??(?)d??(?)
• Homophone: verdure (one pronunciation)
• Hyphenation: verger

Noun

verger (plural vergers)

1. One who carries a verge, or emblem of office.
2. (chiefly Britain, Christianity) A lay person who takes care of the interior of a church and acts as an attendant during services, where he or she carries the verge (or virge). In the United States, the office is generally combined with that of sexton.
   • 1942, Emily Carr, “The Blessing”, in The Book of Small:^[1]

     As soon as we were all in the night the verger rolled shut the doors and blotted out the chandeliers.

3. (chiefly Britain, Christianity) An usher; also, in major ecclesiastical landmarks, a tour guide.
4. (Britain) An attendant upon a dignitary, such as a bishop or dean, a justice, etc.
   • 1725, John Strype, Annals of the Reformation and Establishment of Religion, and Other Various Occurrences in the Church of England, during Queen Elizabeth’s Happy Reign, Oxford: Clarendon, 1824, Vol. I, Part I, Chapter 23, p. 408,^[2]

     When she came to her place she opened the book, and perused it, and saw the pictures, but frowned and blushed; and then shut it, (of which several took notice,) and calling the verger, bade him bring her the old book, wherein she was formerly wont to read.

French

Etymology

From Middle French vergier, from Old French vergier, from Vulgar Latin *virdiariu, syncopated form of Latin viridi?rium, variant of virid?rium, from viridis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /v??.?e/

Noun

verger m (plural vergers)

1. orchard

Related terms

• vert

Further reading

• “verger” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).