abbey

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See also Abbey

Contents

English [edit]

Pronunciation [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From 1250 in Middle English as abbeye (“convent headed by an abbot”), from Old French abaïe, abbaïe, abeïe, abbeïe (Modern French abbaye) from Late Latin abbātia, from Classical Latin abbās (“abbot”). See abbot.

Ruins of an abbey

Noun [edit]

abbey (plural abbeys)

  1. The office or dominion of an abbot or abbess. [First attested around 1150 to 1350.][1]
  2. A monastery or society of people, secluded from the world and devoted to religion and celibacy, which is headed by an abbot or abbess; also, the monastic building or buildings. [First attested around 1150 to 1350.][1]
    From 1199 to 1203 William Punchard was the abbot of the abbey of Rievaulx, which was part of the Cistercian order of monks.
  3. The church of a monastery. [First attested around 1150 to 1350.][1]
  4. (UK) A residence that was previously an abbatial building.[2][Mid 16th century.][1]
  5. (capitalized) In London, the Abbey is short for Westminster Abbey, and in Scotland, the precincts of the Abbey of Holyrood.

Related terms [edit]

Translations [edit]

monastery headed by an abbot
church of a monastery
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Translations to be checked

See also [edit]

Shorthand [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 2003 [1933], Brown, Lesley editor, The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, edition 5th, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-860575-7, page 3:
  2. ^ 1984 [1975], Urdang, Laurence editor, The Random House College Dictionary, New York, NY: Random House, Inc., ISBN 0-394-43600-8, page 1:
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