lay sister
- a woman who has taken religious vows and habit but is employed in her order chiefly in manual labor.
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Origin of lay sister
First recorded in 1700–10
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for lay sister
Historical Examples
He paid a dowry for her, and made a nun of her who was already a lay-sister.
La Sorcire: The Witch of the Middle AgesJules Michelet
The lay-sister feared that he could not see Juanita de Mogente.
The Velvet GloveHenry Seton Merriman
Presently a lay-sister brought refreshments and set the tray on the table without speaking.
The Velvet GloveHenry Seton Merriman
In an hour, a lay-sister will come here, I will speak a few words apart to her, and she will tell you to follow her.
The Memoires of Casanova, CompleteJacques Casanova de Seingalt
I laughed, and not expecting anything else but an agreeable adventure, I followed the lay-sister and soon found myself here.
The Memoires of Casanova, CompleteJacques Casanova de Seingalt
lay sister
- a woman who has taken the vows of a religious order but is not ordained and not bound to divine office
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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