Cranmer Thomas

Cran·mer

 (krăn′mər), Thomas 1489-1556.

English prelate who as archbishop of Canterbury (1533-1553) was instrumental in the marital machinations of Henry VIII, revised the Book of Common Prayer (1552), and instituted other reforms. Under Mary I, a Roman Catholic, he was convicted of heresy and burned at the stake.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.