heiligegeestmeester

== Dutch == === Alternative forms === heiliggeestmeester Heilige-Geestmeester Heilige Geestmeester === Etymology === Compound of Heilige Geest (“Holy Ghost”) +‎ meester (“master”). The Holy Spirit was historically associated with charity for the poor in Western Christendom. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ɦɛi̯.lə.ɣəˈɣeːstˌmeːs.tər/ Hyphenation: hei‧li‧ge‧geest‧mees‧ter === Noun === heiligegeestmeester m (plural heiligegeestmeesters, no diminutive) (historical) an official tasked by a local civic authority under the Ancien Régime to provide support for the poor; in practice often performed by ecclesiastical office-holders, mainly restricted to Protestants until the eighteenth century