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plural abbeys
1
a
: a monastery ruled by an abbot
b
: a convent ruled by an abbess
2
: an abbey church
Examples of abbey in a Sentence
the monks in the abbey grow all their own vegetables
Recent Examples on the Web
And a clip of the momentous day went viral on TikTok after showing Charlotte watch George pass by, processing behind the king through the abbey.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
Surrounding the abbey is a steep hillside village and a stone wall with turrets.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2024
All guests of La Ferme have access to the facilities of the abbey and a shuttle is available to transport them back and forth.
—Laurie Werner, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
The Irish monk Columba settled on Iona in the sixth century and founded an abbey that became a center of Gaelic Christianity.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
Middle English abbeye, abbay, borrowed from Anglo-French abeie, abbaye, borrowed from Medieval Latin abbātia "abbacy, abbey," from Late Latin abbāt-, abbās abbot + Latin -ia -y entry 2
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of abbey was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near abbey
Cite this Entry
“Abbey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abbey. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.
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More from Merriam-Webster on abbey
Nglish: Translation of abbey for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of abbey for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about abbey
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