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Webster 1913 Edition

Abbey

Ab′bey

(ăb′by̆)
,
Noun.
;
pl.
Abbeys
(-bĭz)
.
[OF.
abaïe
,
abbaïe
, F.
abbaye
, L.
abbatia
, fr.
abbas
abbot. See
Abbot
.]
1.
A monastery or society of persons of either sex, secluded from the world and devoted to religion and celibacy; also, the monastic building or buildings.
☞ The men are called
monks
, and governed by an abbot; the women are called
nuns
, and governed by an abbess.
2.
The church of a monastery.
In London, the Abbey means Westminster Abbey, and in Scotland, the precincts of the Abbey of Holyrood. The name is also retained for a private residence on the site of an abbey; as, Newstead
Abbey
, the residence of Lord Byron.
Syn. – Monastery; convent; nunnery; priory; cloister. See
Cloister
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Abbey

AB'BEY

,
Noun.
plu.
abbeys, [from abba.]
A monastery or society of persons of either sex, secluded from the world and devoted to religion. The males are called monks, and governed by an abbot; the females are called nuns, and governed by an abbess. These institutions were suppressed in England by Henry VIII.; but they still exist in Catholic countries.

Definition 2024

Abbey

Abbey

See also: abbey

English

Proper noun

Abbey

  1. A diminutive of the female given name Abigail.
  2. A diminutive of the male given name Albert.
  3. A British surname​.
  4. (London) Westminster Abbey.
  5. (Scotland) The precincts of the Abbey of Holyrood.

Synonyms

  • (diminutive of Abigail): Abi

abbey

abbey

See also: Abbey

English

Noun

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. (Britain) A residence that was previously an abbatial building.[2][Mid 16th century.][1]

Related terms

Translations

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lesley Brown (editor), The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition (Oxford University Press, 2003 [1933], ISBN 978-0-19-860575-7), page 3
  2. ↑ Laurence Urdang (editor), The Random House College Dictionary (Random House, 1984 [1975], ISBN 0-394-43600-8), page 1
  • abbey in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Etymology

From A.D. 1250 in Middle English as abbeye ‎(“convent headed by an abbot”) (compare archaic English abbaye), itself a borrowing from Old French abaïe, abbaïe, abeïe, abbeïe (Modern French abbaye) from Late Latin or Ecclesiastical Latin abbātia, from Classical Latin abbās ‎(“abbot”). See abbot.

Ruins of an abbey

Pronunciation

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