The room in a monastery in which manuscripts were copied by monks; also, a writing shop where professional copyists produced and sold books
Pl scriptoria, -iums [med L f L script-, scrWbSre to write: see -orium ] A writing-room; spec the room in a religious house set apart for the copying of manuscripts 1774 T West Antiq Furness Expl Ground Plan, H, the chapter-house, over which were the library and scriptorium 1828 H Angelo Remin (1830) I 66 The attics or scriptoriums of the poets of the last age 1874 Green Short Hist iii §1 (1882) 113 Writing-rooms or scriptoria, where the chief works of Latin literature were copied and illuminated 1907 Times, Lit Suppl 18 Jan 17/1 Drowsy intelligences and numbed fingers in a draughty scriptorium, will easily account for deviations
In an abbey or monastery, the room set apart for writing or copying manuscripts; in general, a room devoted to writing
in the Middle ages it was the area of the monastery in which one wrote It later was used to describe particular schools of fine script or painting