Monastery \Mon"as*te*ry\, n.; pl. Monasteries. [L. monasterium, Gr. ?, fr. ? a solitary, a monk, fr. ? to be alone, live in solitude, fr. ? alone. Cf. Minister.]

A house of religious retirement, or of secusion from ordinary temporal concerns, especially for monks; -- more rarely applied to such a house for females.

Syn: Convent; abbey; priory. See Cloister.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)