Illustration of cloister
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clois·ter
ˈklȯi-stər 
1
a
: a monastic establishment
b
: an area within a monastery or convent to which the religious are normally restricted
c
: monastic life
young men and women choosing the cloister as a way of life
d
: a place or state of seclusion
… the Internet broke out of its academic cloister and started cavorting in the mainstream.—
Paul McFedries
Paul McFedries2
: a covered passage on the side of a court usually having one side walled and the other an open arcade or colonnade
The courtyard is surrounded with a cloister.
cloistered; cloistering
ˈklȯi-st(ə-)riŋ
1
: to seclude from the world in or as if in a cloister
a scientist who cloisters herself in a laboratory
policy makers are cloistered for the weekend, trying to stave off a default that they fear could trigger an international financial panic—Art Pine
Art Pine2
: to surround with a cloister
cloistered gardens
Did you know?
Cloister first entered the English language as a noun in the 13th century; it referred then (as it still does) to a convent or monastery. More than three centuries later, English speakers began using the verb cloister to mean "to seclude in or as if in a cloister." Today, the noun can also refer to the monastic life or to a covered and usually arched passage along or around a court. You may also encounter cloistered with the meaning "surrounded with a covered passage," as in "cloistered gardens." Cloister ultimately derives from the Latin verb claudere, meaning "to close." Other words that can be traced back to the prolific claudere include close, conclude, exclude, include, preclude, seclude, and recluse.
Examples of cloister in a Sentence
Noun
monks living in a cloister in the country
Recent Examples on the Web
Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2024
But even within the cloisters of the monastery and behind the walls of its garden, with the city outside, there is also a solitude around each of the monks.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 20 Oct. 2024
Nate Jones, Vulture, 23 July 2024
Far from cloistering themselves in Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C., American foreign policy experts formed local branches throughout the country to host discussions of pressing geopolitical issues.
—Daniel Bessner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2017
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Noun
During the two decades before the mass possession at Loudun, the Ursulines, originally a very active and public order, had been forced into the cloister.
—Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2024
But even within the cloisters of the monastery and behind the walls of its garden, with the city outside, there is also a solitude around each of the monks.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 20 Oct. 2024
Verb
But otherwise, there’s a lot to recommend about Santa Fe, including a thriving local arts scene and the scale that’s ideal for a festival town: small enough to feel cloistered in a world of pure cinema, big enough to handle an influx of dorks in lanyards.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 23 July 2024
Far from cloistering themselves in Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C., American foreign policy experts formed local branches throughout the country to host discussions of pressing geopolitical issues.
—Daniel Bessner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2017
See all Example Sentences for cloister
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Cite this Entry
“Cloister.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cloister. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cloister
1 of 2 noun
clois·ter
ˈklȯi-stər
cloister
2 of 2 verb1
: to shut away from the world in or as if in a cloister
leads a cloistered life
2
: to surround with a cloister
cloistered gardens
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