Cistercian Definition
Cis·ter·cian (si stʉr′s̸hən)
adjective
designating or of a monastic order following a strict interpretation of the Benedictine rule
Etymology: ME & OFr Cistercien < OFr, after ML Cistercium (now Cîteaux, France), orig. convent (1098) of the order
noun
a Cistercian monk or nun
Cistercian Usage Examples
Modifies a noun
- abbey: The ' white gate ' belonged to Vale Royal Abbey, once the largest Cistercian abbey in England.
- nunnery: In England, most Cistercian nunneries probably accommodated about fourteen nuns and several male helpers.
- monk: Peter is believed to be a Cistercian monk who guards the abbey's treasure, hidden in a secret tunnel.
- monastery: By the end of the 13th Century there were some 750 Cistercian monasteries in Europe, a tenth of them in England.
- abbot: It is believed that King John established Beaulieu as an act of penance after he dreamt that he was being flogged by Cistercian abbots.
- foundation: The results that year suggested a possible link to the medieval sheep farming industry made important by the Cistercian foundations in Yorkshire.
Modifying Another Word
only: His composition of three meditations to a hermit makes him the only Cistercian in England during this period to attempt a purely spiritual work.

