noun

• (early Christianity) A designated minister of charity in the early Church (see Acts 6:1-6).
• (Christianity, by extension) A modern-day member of a church who handles secular and/or administrative duties in a priest's stead, the specifics of which depends on denomination.
• (Catholicism, Lutheranism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Church of the East) A clergyman ranked directly below a priest, with duties of helping the priests and carrying out parish work.
• (Anglicanism) An ordained clergyperson usually serving a year prior to being ordained presbyter, though in some cases they remain a permanent deacon.

verb

• (Christianity, music) For a choir leader to lead a hymn by speaking one or two lines at a time, which are then sung by the choir.
• (US, animal husbandry) To kill a calf shortly after birth.
• (US, slang) To place fresh fruit at the top of a barrel or other container, with spoiled or imperfect fruit hidden beneath.
  "The blanc mange was lumpy, and the strawberries not as ripe as they looked, having been skilfully 'deaconed'."
• (US, slang) To make sly alterations to the boundaries of (land); to adulterate or doctor (an article to be sold), etc.

name

• (rare) A male given name from English.
  "And like a mirror image in gestures if not in looks, Steward spit fresh Blue Boy while Deek lit a cigar. However disgusted both were, K.D. knew they would not negotiate a solution that would endanger him or the future of Morgan money. His grandfather had named his twins Deacon and Steward for a reason."