abbey
[ab-ee]
- a monastery under the supervision of an abbot or a convent under the supervision of an abbess.
- the group of buildings comprising such a monastery or convent.
- the church of an abbey.
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Origin of abbey
Abbey
[ab-ee]
- Edward,1927–89, U.S. novelist and nature writer.
- Edwin Austin,1852–1911, U.S. painter and illustrator.
- a female given name, form of Abigail.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for abbey
Contemporary Examples
Every day, I drove from my flat in Mayfair to Abbey Road in joyous expectation of what magic I would be participating in that day.
When Gary Wright Met George Harrison: Dream Weaver, John and Yoko, and MoreGary Wright
September 29, 2014
She considered becoming a nun in a French abbey that was once liberated by her grandfather.
The Price of Being a Patton: Wrestling With the Legacy of America’s Most Famous GeneralTim Teeman
May 26, 2014
It would take until 1969 to get the stone at the Abbey, and the death was to be anything but “happy.”
Poet and Rake, Lord Byron Was Also an Interventionist With Brains and SavvyMichael Weiss
February 16, 2014
Maria sings "My Favorite Things" in the abbey to Mother Abbess, not to the children.
Well, obvious not in Abbey Road Studios—as Abbeys, Roads, and Studios were not existing 250.000.000 Years ago.
Historical Examples
They may have been removed there from the abbey for safety at the time of the dissolution.
Yorkshire Painted And DescribedGordon Home
His spirit must be chastened, as must that of many more in this Abbey.
The White CompanyArthur Conan Doyle
Henry's body was carried home, and buried in the Abbey of Hales.
Cameos from English History, from Rollo to Edward IICharlotte Mary Yonge
Here, Chilvers, I want you to do a couple of columns on that stunt at the Abbey this morning!
The Foolish LoversSt. John G. Ervine
Abbey was fetched immediately, but he only arrived in time to see me on the block.
My Double LifeSarah Bernhardt
abbey
- a building inhabited by a community of monks or nuns governed by an abbot or abbess
- a church built in conjunction with such a building
- such a community of monks or nuns
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Word Origin
C13: via Old French abeie from Church Latin abbātia abbacy
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for abbey
n.
mid-13c., "convent headed by an abbot or abbess," from Anglo-French abbeie, Old French abaïe, from Late Latin abbatia, from abbas (genitive abbatis); see abbot.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper