Main Entry: ¹clois·ter

Pronunciation: \ˈklȯi-stər\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English cloistre, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin claustrum, from Latin, bar, bolt, from claudere to close — more at close

Date: 13th century

1 a : a monastic establishment b : an area within a monastery or convent to which the religious are normally restricted c : monastic life d : a place or state of seclusion
2 : a covered passage on the side of a court usually having one side walled and the other an open arcade or colonnade

[cloister illustration]