Meanings
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1
noun
the office, benefice, or prebend held by a canon of a cathedral or collegiate church
The bishop intended to appoint the young priest to a vacant canonry.
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2
noun
the canons of a cathedral or collegiate church considered collectively
The cathedral's canonry assembled to discuss the proposed restoration.
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3
noun
a house or residence provided for a canon
The medieval canonry beside the cathedral is now a museum.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Formed from canon + -ry. Here canon means a cleric belonging to a cathedral or collegiate chapter, while -ry forms nouns denoting an office, body, or place; this accounts for the word's related institutional senses.