1. [n]  (British) the job of a head of a government department
2. [n]  a person authorized to conduct religious worship
3. [n]  a diplomat representing one government to another; ranks below ambassador
4. [n]  a person appointed to a high office in the government; "Minister of Finance"
5. [v]  work as a minister
6. [v]  attend to the wants and needs of others; "I have to minister to my mother all the time"

1. \Min"is*ter\, n. [OE. ministre, F. ministre, fr. L.
   minister, orig. a double comparative from the root of minor
   less, and hence meaning, an inferior, a servant. See 1st
   {Minor}, and cf. {Master}, {Minstrel}.]
   1. A servant; a subordinate; an officer or assistant of
      inferior rank; hence, an agent, an instrument.
   
            Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua. --Ex. xxiv.
                                                  13.
   
            I chose Camillo for the minister, to poison My
            friend Polixenes.                     --Shak.
   
   2. An officer of justice. [Obs.]
   
            I cry out the on the ministres, quod he, That
            shoulde keep and rule this cit['e].   --Chaucer.
   
   3. One to whom the sovereign or executive head of a
      government intrusts the management of affairs of state, or
      some department of such affairs.
   
            Ministers to kings, whose eyes, ears, and hands they
            are, must be answerable to God and man. --Bacon.
   
   4. A representative of a government, sent to the court, or
      seat of government, of a foreign nation to transact
      diplomatic business.
   
   Note: Ambassadors are classed (in the diplomatic sense) in
         the first rank of public ministers, ministers
         plenipotentiary in the second. ``The United States
         diplomatic service employs two classes of ministers, --
         ministers plenipotentiary and ministers resident.''
         --Abbott.
   
   5. One who serves at the altar; one who performs sacerdotal
      duties; the pastor of a church duly authorized or licensed
      to preach the gospel and administer the sacraments.
      --Addison.
   
   Syn: Delegate; official; ambassador; clergyman; parson;
        priest.
   
   

2. \Min"is*ter\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Ministered}; p. pr.
   & vb. n. {Ministering}.] [OE. ministren, OF. ministrer, fr.
   L. ministrare. See {Minister}, n.]
   To furnish or apply; to afford; to supply; to administer.
   
         He that ministereth seed to the sower.   --2 Cor. ix.
                                                  10.
   
         We minister to God reason to suspect us. --Jer. Taylor.
   
   

3. \Min"is*ter\, v. i.
   1. To act as a servant, attendant, or agent; to attend and
      serve; to perform service in any office, sacred or
      secular.
   
            The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but
            to minister.                          --Matt. xx.
                                                  28.
   
   2. To supply or to things needful; esp., to supply
      consolation or remedies. --Matt. xxv. 44.
   
            Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased? --Shak.
   
   

one who serves, as distinguished from the master. (1.) Heb. meshereth, applied to an attendant on one of superior rank, as to Joshua, the servant of Moses (Ex. 33:11), and to the servant of Elisha (2 Kings 4:43). This name is also given to attendants at court (2 Chr. 22:8), and to the priests and Levites (Jer. 33:21; Ezek. 44:11).

(2.) Heb. pelah (Ezra 7:24), a "minister" of religion. Here used of that class of sanctuary servants called "Solomon's servants" in Ezra 2:55-58 and Neh. 7:57-60.

(3.) Greek leitourgos, a subordinate public administrator, and in this sense applied to magistrates (Rom. 13:6). It is applied also to our Lord (Heb. 8:2), and to Paul in relation to Christ (Rom. 15:16).

(4.) Greek hyperetes (literally, "under-rower"), a personal attendant on a superior, thus of the person who waited on the officiating priest in the synagogue (Luke 4:20). It is applied also to John Mark, the attendant on Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:5).

(5.) Greek diaconos, usually a subordinate officer or assistant employed in relation to the ministry of the gospel, as to Paul and Apollos (1 Cor. 3:5), Tychicus (Eph. 6:21), Epaphras (Col. 1:7), Timothy (1 Thess. 3:2), and also to Christ (Rom. 15:8).