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 seclusion2: a covered passage on the side of a court usually having one side walled and the other an open arcade or colonnade

[cloister illustration]