A house of religious retirement, or of secusion from ordinary temporal concerns, especially for monks; more rarely applied to such a house for females
Certain cheeses are linked historically in that they were originally developed by monks They are known as monastery cheeses although they range in flavour and aroma considerably
The dwelling place and the community thereof,of monks or nuns living together in a communal life (cenobites) in a convent, and practicing the rules of prayer and vows The members of some monasteries live alone in solitude (anchorites) See the article onMonasticism in the Orthodox Church
An autonomous community house of a religious order, which may or may not be a monastic order The term is used more specifically to refer to a community house of men religious or women religious in which they lead a contemplative life separate from the world
The residence of a religious community, living in seclusion from secular society and bound by religious vows
A monastery is a building or collection of buildings in which monks live. monasteries a place where monks live convent, nunnery nunnery. Local community or residence of a religious order, particularly an order of monks. Christian monasteries originally developed in Egypt, where the monks first lived as isolated hermits and then began to coalesce in communal groups. Monasteries were later found throughout the Christian world and often included a central space for church, chapels, fountain, and dining hall. In the Middle Ages they served as centres of worship and learning and often played an important role for various European rulers. The vihara was an early type of Buddhist monastery, consisting of an open court surrounded by open cells accessible through an entrance porch. Originally built in India to shelter monks during the rainy season, viharas took on a sacred character when small stupas and images of the Buddha were installed in the central court. In western India, viharas were often excavated into rock cliffs. See also abbey
The dwelling place and the community thereof, of monks or nuns living together in a communal life (cenobites) in a convent, and practicing the rules of prayer and vows The members of some monasteries live alone in solitude (anchorites)