Hesychast

American  

[hes-i-kast] / ˈhɛs ɪˌkæst /

noun

1. one of a sect of mystics that originated in the 14th century among the monks on Mt. Athos, Greece.

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Hesychast British  

/ ˈhɛsɪˌkæst /

noun

1. Greek Orthodox Church a member of a school of mysticism developed by the monks of Mount Athos in the 14th century

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Other Word Forms

• Hesychastic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Hesychast

1825–35; < Medieval Latin hesychasta < Greek hēsychastḗs a recluse, equivalent to hēsycház ( ein ) to be quiet, be still (verbal derivative of hḗsychos quiet, still) + -tēs agent suffix

Example Sentences

We are introduced to the Oriati Mbo, an ancient confederation the Masquerade finds impossible to consume; the history of Baru’s mentor, Itinerant, and his rivalry with Hesychast, his equal and opposite cryptarch; Tau-indi, a third-gender Prince of the Oriati Mbo, and their obligation toward their estranged friend, the would-be revolutionary Abdumasi Abd.

From New York Times

“Monster” is built of splintering oppositions, between the conflicted hemispheres of Baru’s brain and the tactics of Itinerant and Hesychast, and between the core values of the Masquerade and the Oriati Mbo.

From New York Times

Among the words young participants were asked to conquer: “auteur,” “cinerarium” and “hesychast.”

From Washington Post

It may be mentioned that in the time of Justinian the word hesychast was applied to monks in general simply as descriptive of the quiet and contemplative character of their pursuits.

From Project Gutenberg

The contemporary historians Cantacuzenus and Nicephorus Gregoras deal very copiously with this subject, taking the Hesychast and Barlaamite sides respectively.

From Project Gutenberg