A person appointed to distribute alms on behalf of a noble, church, or institution; a charitable officer.
From Old French 'aumônier,' derived from 'aumône' (alms). The word traveled through Anglo-Norman French into Middle English, eventually modernizing to 'almoner.'
Many medieval castles had official almners on staff—their job was literally to give away money to poor people at the gates, making charity part of a noble household's daily operations.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.