| 1. | a house or place of residence occupied by a community of persons, esp. monks, living in seclusion under religious vows. |
| 2. | the community of persons living in such a place. |
rion monk house, orig. hermit's cell, equiv. to monas-, var. s. of monázein to be alone (see mon- ) + -tērion neut. adj. suffix denoting place