Nicolaitan

English

Alternative forms

• Nicholaitan

Etymology

From Nicolaite +‎ -an.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /nɪ.kəˈleɪ.ɪ.t(ə)n/

Noun

Nicolaitan (plural Nicolaitans)

1. A member of an early Christian sect (Nicolaism), said to participate in certain pagan ceremonies.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 2:6:

     But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which also I hate....So hast thou also them that hold to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.

   • 1604, Reverend Cawdrey, Table Aleph:

     held that a Nicholaitan is an heretike, like Nicholas, who held that wiues should bee commmon to all alike.