abbot
noun
a man who is the head or superior, usually elected, of a monastery.
abbot
1 American
[ab-uht]
/ ˈæb ət /
noun
Abbot
2
American
[ab-uht]
/ ˈæb ət /
noun
-
Charles Greeley, 1872–1973, U.S. astrophysicist.
-
Also Abbott a first name.
abbot
British
/ ˈæbət /
noun
Other Word Forms
- abbotcy noun
- abbotship noun
- subabbot noun
Etymology
Origin of abbot
First recorded before 900; Middle English, variant of abbat, from Latin abbāt- (stem of abbās ), from Greek, from Aramaic abbā; replacing Middle English, Old English abbod (compare Old High German abbat ), from Late Latin abbād- for abbāt-; cf. Abba 1 ( def. )
Explanation
An abbot is the head of a monastery. Just as businesses have bosses and teams have coaches, the monastery has an abbot. The word abbot comes from the Greek abbas, which means "father” as a title with honor. An abbot is the superior of a monastery, the father of the fathers — in other words. Other monks must obey the abbot, and the abbot should lead and inspire all the monks.
Vocabulary lists containing abbot
Name That Job: Occupational Last Names
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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Medieval Europe - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"People are facing many economic hardships," said the abbot, U Thudassa.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
“I am looking forward to the silence finally stopping, because 54 years of silence is a long time,” said Bishop Kassianos of Aravissos, the abbot of the seminary.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 1, 2025
Mr Shi, who has been Shaolin Temple's abbot since 1999, has earned the nickname "CEO monk" for transforming the institution into a global brand.
From BBC • Jul. 28, 2025
“That’s something you must resolve on your own,” the abbot said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2024
The abbot, Cyril Knapp, also took an interest in breeding experiments.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
