conversus

American  

[kuhn-vur-suhs] / kənˈvɜr səs /

noun

Ecclesiastical.

• conversi
  plural

1. a lay brother.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• conversi
  plural

Etymology

Origin of conversus

< Latin, past participle of convertere to convert ¹; see converse ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

conversi

There was a second range of stalls in the extreme western bays of the nave for the fratres conversi, or lay brothers.

From The Project Gutenberg Encyclopedia Volume 1 of 28 by Project Gutenberg

The brethren or "conversi," who are laymen, occupy themselves with the manual labour of the monastery, but all that is necessary in the cell is done by the father himself.

From Memorials of Old London Volume I by P. H. (Peter Hampson) Ditchfield

But their church had to be looked to before it could serve for the worship of the conversi.

From Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln A Short Story of One of the Makers of Mediaeval England by Charles L. (Charles Latimer) Marson

In connection with monasteries were bake-houses, and the work here would be done by the conversi or lay brothers.

From England in the Days of Old by William Andrews

Here live and pray some thirty-six monks, with a like number of conversi or lay-brothers.

From England of My Heart : Spring by Edward Hutton