The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Dean \Dean\, n. [OE. dene, deene, OF. deien, dien, F. doyen,
eldest of a corporation, a dean, L. decanus the chief of ten,
one set over ten persons, e. g., over soldiers or over monks,
from decem ten. See Ten, and cf. Decemvir.]
1. A dignitary or presiding officer in certain ecclesiastical
and lay bodies; esp., an ecclesiastical dignitary,
subordinate to a bishop.
[1913 Webster]
Dean of cathedral church, the chief officer of a chapter;
he is an ecclesiastical magistrate next in degree to
bishop, and has immediate charge of the cathedral and its
estates.
Dean of peculiars, a dean holding a preferment which has
some peculiarity relative to spiritual superiors and the
jurisdiction exercised in it. [Eng.]
Rural dean, one having, under the bishop, the especial care
and inspection of the clergy within certain parishes or
districts of the diocese.
[1913 Webster]
2. The collegiate officer in the universities of Oxford and
Cambridge, England, who, besides other duties, has regard
to the moral condition of the college. --Shipley.
[1913 Webster]
3. The head or presiding officer in the faculty of some
colleges or universities.
[1913 Webster]
4. A registrar or secretary of the faculty in a department of
a college, as in a medical, or theological, or scientific
department. [U.S.]
[1913 Webster]
5. The chief or senior of a company on occasion of ceremony;
as, the dean of the diplomatic corps; -- so called by
courtesy.
[1913 Webster]
Cardinal dean, the senior cardinal bishop of the college of
cardinals at Rome. --Shipley.
Dean and chapter, the legal corporation and governing body
of a cathedral. It consists of the dean, who is chief, and
his canons or prebendaries.
Dean of arches, the lay judge of the court of arches.
Dean of faculty, the president of an incorporation or
barristers; specifically, the president of the
incorporation of advocates in Edinburgh.
Dean of guild, a magistrate of Scotch burghs, formerly, and
still, in some burghs, chosen by the Guildry, whose duty
is to superintend the erection of new buildings and see
that they conform to the law.
Dean of a monastery, Monastic dean, a monastic superior
over ten monks.
Dean's stall. See Decanal stall, under Decanal.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Faculty \Fac"ul*ty\, n.; pl. Faculties. [F. facult?, L.
facultas, fr. facilis easy (cf. facul easily), fr. fecere to
make. See Fact, and cf. Facility.]
1. Ability to act or perform, whether inborn or cultivated;
capacity for any natural function; especially, an original
mental power or capacity for any of the well-known classes
of mental activity; psychical or soul capacity; capacity
for any of the leading kinds of soul activity, as
knowledge, feeling, volition; intellectual endowment or
gift; power; as, faculties of the mind or the soul.
[1913 Webster]
But know that in the soul
Are many lesser faculties that serve
Reason as chief. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
What a piece of work is a man ! how noble in reason
! how infinite in faculty ! --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. Special mental endowment; characteristic knack.
[1913 Webster]
He had a ready faculty, indeed, of escaping from any
topic that agitated his too sensitive and nervous
temperament. --Hawthorne.
[1913 Webster]
3. Power; prerogative or attribute of office. [R.]
[1913 Webster]
This Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
4. Privilege or permission, granted by favor or indulgence,
to do a particular thing; authority; license;
dispensation.
[1913 Webster]
The pope . . . granted him a faculty to set him free
from his promise. --Fuller.
[1913 Webster]
It had not only faculty to inspect all bishops'
dioceses, but to change what laws and statutes they
should think fit to alter among the colleges.
--Evelyn.
[1913 Webster]
5. A body of a men to whom any specific right or privilege is
granted; formerly, the graduates in any of the four
departments of a university or college (Philosophy, Law,
Medicine, or Theology), to whom was granted the right of
teaching (profitendi or docendi) in the department in
which they had studied; at present, the members of a
profession itself; as, the medical faculty; the legal
faculty, etc.
[1913 Webster]
6. (Amer. Colleges) The body of person to whom are intrusted
the government and instruction of a college or university,
or of one of its departments; the president, professors,
and tutors in a college.
[1913 Webster]
Dean of faculty. See under Dean.
Faculty of advocates. (Scot.) See under Advocate.
Syn: Talent; gift; endowment; dexterity; expertness;
cleverness; readiness; ability; knack.
[1913 Webster]