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n. pl. mon·as·ter·ies 1. A community of persons, especially monks, bound by vows to a religious life and often living in partial or complete seclusion. 2. The dwelling place of such a community. [Middle English monasterie, from Old French monastere, from Late Latin monastērium, from Late Greek monastērion, from Greek monazein, to live alone, from monos, alone; see men-4 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] mon′as·teri·al (mŏn′ə-stîrē-əl, -stĕr-) adj. |
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