cloister

C2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈklɔɪstɚ/ UK /ˈklɔɪstə/ See IPA manual

Freq #33740

Meanings

1

noun
A covered walkway around an open courtyard, usually in a monastery or cathedral

The monks walked slowly through the quiet cloister.
2

noun
A monastery or convent, or the secluded religious life lived there

She left the noise of the city for the calm of the cloister.
3

verb
To shut yourself or someone away from the outside world

He cloistered himself in his study for weeks to finish the book.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a monastery or convent, or... religious residence

Word family

Forms cloisteringcloisters

Derived forms cloisteredcloisterercloisteresscloisterismcloisterlesscloisterlikecloisterlycloistralcloistressencloisterincloisteruncloister

Related forms abbeyclaustralclaustrationclaustrophobiaclaustrumhermitage monastery nunnery

Etymology

Recorded since about 1300 as Middle English cloistre, borrowed from Old French cloistre, clostre, or via Old English clauster, both from Medieval Latin claustrum (“portion of monastery closed off to laity”), from Latin claustrum (“place shut in, bar, bolt, enclosure”), a derivation of the past participle of claudere (“to close”). Doublet of claustrum.

*(s)kleh₂w- Proto-Indo-European cloistre Middle English clauster Old English claustrum Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Space, Position & Direction Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# cloister

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈklɔɪstɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈklɔɪstə/
**Frequency rank:** 33740

## Meanings
1. A covered walkway around an open courtyard, usually in a monastery or cathedral
2. A monastery or convent, or the secluded religious life lived there
3. To shut yourself or someone away from the outside world

## Examples
- The monks walked slowly through the quiet cloister.
- She left the noise of the city for the calm of the cloister.
- He cloistered himself in his study for weeks to finish the book.

## Derived Forms
- cloistered
- cloisterer
- cloisteress
- cloisterism
- cloisterless
- cloisterlike
- cloisterly
- cloistral
- cloistress
- encloister
- incloister
- uncloister

## Related Forms
- abbey
- claustral
- claustration
- claustrophobia
- claustrum
- hermitage
- monastery
- nunnery

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *(s)kleh₂w-
- Root: cloistre
- Root: clauster
- Root: claustrum

## Etymology
Recorded since about 1300 as Middle English cloistre, borrowed from Old French cloistre, clostre, or via Old English clauster, both from Medieval Latin claustrum (“portion of monastery closed off to laity”), from Latin claustrum (“place shut in, bar, bolt, enclosure”), a derivation of the past participle of claudere (“to close”). Doublet of claustrum.

## AI Etymology
Cloister is recorded since about 1300 as Middle English cloistre, borrowed from Old French cloistre, clostre, or via Old English clauster, both from Medieval Latin claustrum (“portion of monastery closed off to laity”), from Latin claustrum (“place shut in, bar, bolt, enclosure”), a derivation of the past participle of claudere (“to close”). Doublet of claustrum. Important recorded forms include *(s)kleh₂w- (Proto-Indo-European), cloistre (Middle English), clauster (Old English), and claustrum (la-med). Current senses include a covered walkway around an open courtyard, usually in a monastery or cathedral, a monastery or convent, or the secluded religious life lived there, and to shut yourself or someone away from the outside world. The wider family includes derived forms such as cloistered, cloisterer, cloisteress, cloisterism, and cloisterless and related words such as abbey, claustral, claustration, claustrophobia, and claustrum.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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cloister

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