almoner

2 definitions found

almoner - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Almoner \Al"mon*er\ ([a^]l"m[u^]n*[~e]r), n. [OE. aumener,
     aulmener, OF. almosnier, aumosnier, F. aum[^o]nier, fr. OF.
     almosne, alms, L. eleemosyna. See Alms.]
     1. One who distributes alms, esp. the doles and alms of
        religious houses, almshouses, etc.; also, one who
        dispenses alms for another, as the almoner of a prince,
        bishop, etc.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A social worker in a hospital. [Chiefly Brit.]
        [PJC]
  
     3. An official in a hospital whose job it is to calculate how
        much a patient must pay for treatment. [Chiefly Brit.]
        [PJC]

almoner - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  almoner
      n 1: an official in a British hospital who looks after the
           social and material needs of the patients [syn: almoner,
           medical social worker]