Definition 1: A new convert, someone recently converted to a belief of some kind.

Usage 1: Today's word originally referred to a new convert to Judaism but now refers to any new convert. It is the parent of a large lexical family, including a verb "proselytize," which refers to the business of missionaries, to make converts. This verb has its own family, an abstract noun "proselytism" and two agent noun proselytizer and proselytist "missionary, someone who proselytizes." The adjective is "proselytical."

Suggested usage: Proselytism is common among the religions of the world but today's word is no longer bound to religion, "Pinkerton became a proselyte of our CEO's theory of management with his promotion to department head." Around the house you might stretch the meaning of today's word to phrases like, "Don't walk about outside in your undershirt like a proselyte of your father's bad habits."

Etymology: Today's word was borrowed from Old French proselite, descendant of Late Latin proselytus, borrowed from Greek proselutos "stranger, proselyte." The Greek word is a combination of pros- "toward, beside" + eluth-, the aorist stem of erkhesthai "to go." (Our gratitude to our Australian friend, Nathan Johnston, for converting us to the idea that "proselyte" would make a good Word of the Day.)