Prester John Definition

prĕstər
noun
A legendary medieval Christian king and priest said to have ruled either in the Far East or in Ethiopia.
Webster's New World

Origin of Prester John

  • Middle English prestre priest from Old French from Late Latin presbyter presbyter

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Prester John Sentence Examples

  • The king of Portugal next despatched Bartolomeu Diaz in 1486 to continue discoveries southwards; while, in the following year, he sent Pedro de Covilhao and Affonso de Payva to discover the country of Prester John.

  • His African experiences suggested The African Colony (1903), A Lodge in the Wilderness (1906), and Prester John (1910).

  • The legend of Prester John is based on the idea of the conversion of a Mongol tribe, the Karith, whose chieftain Ung Khan at baptism received the title Malek Juchana (King John).

  • The history of Prester John no doubt originally gathered round some nucleus of fact, though what that was is extremely difficult to determine.

  • Before Prester John appears upon the scene we find the way prepared for his appearance by a kindred fable, which entwined itself with the legends about him.

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