abbey Hear it!

abbey definition

ab·bey (ab′ē)

noun

  1. a monastery headed by an abbot, or a convent of nuns headed by an abbess
  2. the monks or nuns in such a place, collectively
  3. a church or building belonging to an abbey

Etymology: ME abbeie < OFr abaie < LL(Ec) abbatia, abbacy

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.