neophyte

noun

Etymology: Borrowed from Latin neophytus, from Ancient Greek νεόφυτος (neóphutos, “newly planted”), from νέος (néos, “new”) + φυτόν (phutón, “plant, child”). By surface analysis, neo- + -phyte.

1. A beginner; a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief.

   “A convert's enthusiasm for his new religion is greater than that of a person who is born in it. Vegetarianism was then a new cult in England, and likewise for me, because, as we have seen, I had gone there a convinced meat-eater, and was intellectually converted to vegetarianism later. Full of the neophyte's zeal for vegetarianism, I decided to start a vegetarian club in my locality, Bayswater.”

   “In this scene Lupita, the neophyte, is counselled by more weathered professionals about the rules and regulations of whoring.”

2. A novice (recent convert); a new convert or proselyte; a new monk.

   “The neophyte was given a new name in place of the baptismal one, usually of an evil and revolting character, and this was written in blood in the Devil's book, the covers of which were bound in the skin of unbaptised infants.”

3. Among the early Christians, and still among the Roman Catholics, one who has recently embraced the Christian faith, and been admitted to baptism, especially those converts from heathenism or Judaism.
4. A plant species recently introduced to an area (in contrast to archaeophyte, a long-established introduced species).