[mon-uh-ster-ee] 
| 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
[mon-uh-steer-ee-uhl] , adjective | mon·as·ter·y (mŏn'ə-stěr'ē) n. pl. mon·as·ter·ies
[Middle English monasterie, from Old French monastere, from Late Latin monastērium, from Late Greek monastērion, from Greek monazein, to live alone, from monos, alone; see men-4 in Indo-European roots.] mon'as·te'ri·al (mŏn'ə-stîr'ē-əl, -stěr'-) adj. |
