catechumen

Borrowed from French catéchumène or Ecclesiastical Latin catēchūmenus, itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek κατηχούμενος (katēkhoúmenos, “being instructed”), present participle passive of κατηχέω (katēkhéō, “sound through, instruct orally, catechise”), from κατά (katá, “down”) + ἠχή (ēkhḗ, “sound”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌkæt.ɪˈkjuː.mɛn/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌkæt.əˈkju.mən/

catechumen (plural catechumens)

1. A convert to Christianity under instruction before baptism; a young or recent Christian preparing for confirmation.
   • 1963, Thomas Pynchon, V.:

     Here in this room an old man had killed and boiled a catechumen, had committed sodomy with a rat, had discussed a rodent nunhood with V., a future saint – depending which story you listened to.

• catechumenal
• catechumenate
• catechumenist