cenobite

See also: cénobite

English

Alternative forms

• coenobite
• cœnobite (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old French cenobite or Ecclesiastical Latin coenobīta, from coenobium, from Ancient Greek κοινόβιον (koinóbion, “community life, convent”), from κοινός (koinós, “common”) + βίος (bíos, “life”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: sĕnʹə-bīt', sēʹnə-
• IPA^(key): /ˈsiːnəbaɪt/

Noun

cenobite (plural cenobites)

1. A new or recent member of a Greek monastic religious order; a caloyer.
   • 1980, Anthony Burgess, Earthly Powers, page 418:

     Lamprecht knew very well how the war was going and was perfunctory in his rounding up of Jews and cenobites.

2. A monk who lives in a religious community, rather than in solitude.
3. (fiction) A torturous demon creature made famous by the Hellraiser series.

Translations

monk who lives in a religious community, rather than in solitude

• French: cénobite (fr) m
• Greek: κοινοβίτης (el) m (koinovítis), κοινοβιάτης (el) m (koinoviátis)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: cenobita (it) m
• Polish: cenobita (pl) m

See also

• monk
• nun
• religious

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Old French

Noun

cenobite oblique singular, m (oblique plural cenobites, nominative singular cenobites, nominative plural cenobite)

1. cenobite (monk who lives in a religious community, rather than in solitude)

Descendants

• → English: cenobite
• French: cénobite