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
Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey, Contributor, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2025
The Cathedral of Brixen (Duomo di Bressanone) and the cloister — located in the same complex — should be the first stops on your list.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 10 Dec. 2024
Brian Domitrovic, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
This weekend will also mark a rare foray into public view for Trump, who has largely remained cloistered away at Mar-a-Lago in Florida since winning a second term roughly a month ago.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 6 Dec. 2024
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Noun
The cloister lies just below the Hohensalzburg Palace which towers over Salzburg.
—Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey, Contributor, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2025
The Cathedral of Brixen (Duomo di Bressanone) and the cloister — located in the same complex — should be the first stops on your list.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
The first broad generation of American economists, of the Gilded Age, were nebbish cloistered bookworms who missed out on being a doer in the greatest era of being a doer, the industrial revolution.
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
This weekend will also mark a rare foray into public view for Trump, who has largely remained cloistered away at Mar-a-Lago in Florida since winning a second term roughly a month ago.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 6 Dec. 2024
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 8 Feb. 2025.
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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