From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Parson \Par"son\, n. [OE. persone person, parson, OF. persone,
F. personne person, LL. persona (sc. ecclesiae), fr. L.
persona a person. See {Person}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. (Eng. Eccl. Law) A person who represents a parish in its
ecclesiastical and corporate capacities; hence, the rector
or incumbent of a parochial church, who has full
possession of all the rights thereof, with the cure of
souls.
[1913 Webster]
2. Any clergyman having ecclesiastical preferment; one who is
in orders, or is licensed to preach; a preacher.
[1913 Webster]
He hears the parson pray and preach. --Longfellow.
[1913 Webster]
{Parson bird} (Zool.), a New Zealand bird ({Prosthemadera
Nov[ae]seelandi[ae]}) remarkable for its powers of mimicry
and its ability to articulate words. Its color is glossy
black, with a curious tuft of long, curly, white feathers
on each side of the throat. It is often kept as a cage
bird.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
parson
n 1: a person authorized to conduct religious worship;
"clergymen are usually called ministers in Protestant
churches" [syn: {curate}, {minister of religion},
{minister}, {parson}, {pastor}, {rector}]
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