a man who is the head or superior, usually elected, of a monastery.
Origin: before 900;Middle English, variant of abbat < Latinabbāt- (stem of abbās) < Greek < Aramaicabbāabba; replacing Middle English,Old Englishabbod (compare Old High Germanabbat) < Late Latinabbād- for abbāt-
O.E. abbud, from L. abbatem (nom. abbas), from Gk. abbas, from Aramaic abba, title of honor, lit. "the father, my father," emphatic state of abh "father." The L. fem. abbatissa is root of abbess.