NOUN (3)

1. one bound by vows to a religion or life of worship or service;
- Example: "monasteries of votaries"

2. a priest or priestess (or consecrated worshipper) in a non-Christian religion or cult;
- Example: "a votary of Aphrodite"

3. a devoted (almost religiously so) adherent of a cause or person or activity;
- Example: "the cultured votary of science"

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Votary \Vo"ta*ry\, a. [From L. votus, p. p. vovere to vow, to
   devote. See Vote, Vow.]
   Consecrated by a vow or promise; consequent on a vow;
   devoted; promised.
   [1913 Webster]

         Votary resolution is made equipollent to custom.
                                                  --Bacon.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Votary \Vo"ta*ry\, n.; pl. Votaries.
   One devoted, consecrated, or engaged by a vow or promise;
   hence, especially, one devoted, given, or addicted, to some
   particular service, worship, study, or state of life. "You
   are already love's firm votary." --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]

         'T was coldness of the votary, not the prayer, that was
         in fault.                                --Bp. Fell.
   [1913 Webster]

         But thou, my votary, weepest thou?       --Emerson.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

votary
    n 1: one bound by vows to a religion or life of worship or
         service; "monasteries of votaries"
    2: a priest or priestess (or consecrated worshipper) in a non-
       Christian religion or cult; "a votary of Aphrodite"
    3: a devoted (almost religiously so) adherent of a cause or
       person or activity; "the cultured votary of science"

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

142 Moby Thesaurus words for "votary":
   Christian, God-fearing man, Maecenas, abettor, accepter, addict,
   adherent, admirer, adorer, advocate, aficionado, amateur, angel,
   apologist, appendage, aspirant, aspirer, attendant, backer,
   beadsman, believer, booster, buff, candidate, catechumen,
   cavaliere servente, celebrant, champion, chapelgoer, churchgoer,
   churchite, churchman, collector, communicant, congregation,
   convert, courtier, coveter, creature, daily communicant, dangler,
   defender, dependence, dependent, desirer, devotee, devotionalist,
   dilettante, disciple, dummy, encourager, endorser, evangelist,
   exponent, fan, fanatic, fancier, favorer, figurehead, flunky,
   follower, following, freak, friend at court, gillie,
   good Christian, goon, groupie, habitue, hanger-on, hankerer,
   henchman, homme de cour, hopeful, hound, idolater, idolizer,
   jackal, lackey, lover, mainstay, maintainer, man, minion, myrmidon,
   neophyte, paranymph, parasite, partisan, patron, petitioner,
   pietist, prayer, promoter, proselyte, protagonist, public, puppet,
   pursuer, pursuivant, receiver, reliance, religionist, revivalist,
   rooter, saint, satellite, second, seconder, sectary, shadow, sider,
   solicitant, sponsor, stalwart, standby, stooge, successor, suitor,
   suppliant, supplicant, supplicator, support, supporter, sustainer,
   sycophant, sympathizer, tagtail, tail, theist, thug, trainbearer,
   truster, upholder, venerator, wanter, ward heeler, well-wisher,
   wisher, worshiper, yearner, zealot