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definitions

lay sister

noun
  1. a woman who has taken religious vows and habit but is employed in her order chiefly in manual labor.

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 of lay sister

  • He paid a dowry for her, and made a nun of her who was already a lay-sister.

  • The lay-sister feared that he could not see Juanita de Mogente.

    The Velvet Glove

    Henry Seton Merriman

  • Presently a lay-sister brought refreshments and set the tray on the table without speaking.

    The Velvet Glove

    Henry 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, Complete

    Jacques 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, Complete

    Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

British Dictionary definitions for lay sister

lay sister

noun
  1. a woman who has taken the vows of a religious order but is not ordained and not bound to divine office
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