monasteries

Variant of monastery

monastery definition

mon·as·tery (män′ə ster′ē)

noun pl. monasteries -·ter′·ies

  1. a building or residence for monks or others who have withdrawn from the world for religious reasons
  2. those living there

Etymology: ME monasterie < LL(Ec) monasterium < LGr(Ec) monastērion < Gr monazein, to be alone < monos, alone: see mono-

Related Forms:

  • monasterial mon′·as·te′·rial (-stir′ē əl) adjective

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

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