Clerestory, Clear-story, clēr-stō′ri, n. an upper row of windows rising above the adjoining parts of the building, probably so named as admitting clearness or light—esp. applied to the windows in the upper part of the central nave of churches.
Clergy, klėr′ji, n. the ministers of the Christian religion, as holders of an allotted office, in contradistinction to the laity.—adjs. Cler′gyable, Cler′giable, entitled to or admitting of the benefit of clergy.—ns. Cler′gyman, one of the clergy, a regularly ordained minister; Cler′gy-wom′an, a woman belonging to a clergyman's family.—adjs. Cler′ic, -al, belonging to the clergy: pertaining to a clerk.—ns. Cler′ic, a clergyman; Cler′icalism, undue influence of the clergy, sacerdotalism; Cler′icate, clerical position; Cleric′ity, state of being a clergyman; Cler′isy, the class of learned men, scholars.—Clergyman's sore throat, chronic pharyngitis.—Benefit of clergy, originally an exemption of clergymen, in certain cases, from criminal process before a secular judge, but later covering the first offence of all who could read.—Black clergy, in Russia, the regular or monastic, as distinct from the secular or parochial, clergy. [Fr. clergé—L.,—Gr. klērikos, from klēros, a lot, then the clergy.]
Clerk, klärk, or klerk, n. a clergyman or priest: a scholar: one who leads the responses in the English Church service: in common use, one employed as a writer, assistant, copyist, account-keeper, or correspondent in an office.—v.i. to act as clerk.—adj. Cler′ical, pertaining to a clerk or copyist, as in 'clerical error.'—ns. Clerk′dom, Clerk′ship; Clerk′ery, Clerk′age, the work of a clerk.—adjs. Clerk′ish, like a clerk; Clerk′less, ignorant; Clerk′-like, scholarly.—n. Clerk′ling, a young clerk.—adj. Clerk′ly, scholarly.—adv. in a scholar-like or learned manner.—Clerk of the weather, an imaginary functionary facetiously supposed to direct the weather.—Bible clerk, a scholar who reads the lessons in some college chapels. [A.S. clerc, a priest—Late L. clericus. See Clergy.]
Cleromancy, kler′o-man-si, n. divination by lots. [Gr. klēros, lot, manteia, divination.]
Cler-story, an obsolete form of Clerestory.
Cleuch, Cleugh, klūh, n. a ravine with steep and precipitous sides. [Scotch form of Clough.]
Cleve, klēv, n. cliff: hillside. [Now rare. M. E. cleof, a variant of Cliff.]
Clever, klev′ėr, adj. able or dexterous: ingenious: skilful: (U.S.) good-natured.—ns. Cleveral′ity, Clev′erness.—adj. Clev′erish, somewhat clever.—adv. Clev′erly. [Ety. dub.]
Clew, Clue, klōō, n. a ball of thread, or the thread in it: a thread that guides through a labyrinth: anything that solves a mystery: the corner of a sail.—v.t. to coil up into a clew or ball: to truss or tie up sails to the yards.—n. Clew′-gar′net (naut.), a tackle for clewing up the smaller square sails for furling.—n.pl. Clew′-lines, ropes on the smaller square sails by which they are clewed up for furling. [A.S. cliwen; cf. Dut. kluwen; Ger. knäuel.]
Cliché, klē-shā′, n. the impression made by a die in any soft metal: an electrotype or stereotype plate. [Fr.,—clicher, to stereotype.]