nazarene Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a member of a group of Jews who (during the early history of the Christian Church) accepted Jesus as the Messiah; they accepted the Gospel According to Matthew but rejected the Epistles of St. Paul and continued to follow Jewish law and celebrate Jewish holidays; they were later declared heretic by the Church of Rome
    Ebionite.
  2. noun an early name for any Christian
  3. noun an inhabitant of Nazareth
  4. adjective of or relating to the Nazarenes or their religion
  5. adjective of or relating to the town of Nazareth or its inhabitants

WordNet

Naz`a*rene" noun
Etymology
L. Nazarenus, Gr. , fr. Nazareth.
Definitions
  1. A native or inhabitant of Nazareth; -- a term of contempt applied to Christ and the early Christians.
  2. (Eccl. Hist.) One of a sect of Judaizing Christians in the first and second centuries, who observed the laws of Moses, and held to certain heresies.

Webster 1913