vestry

[ves-tree]

See more synonyms for vestry on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural ves·tries.

a room in or a building attached to a church, in which the vestments, and sometimes liturgical objects, are kept; sacristy.
(in some churches) a room in or a building attached to a church, used as a chapel, for prayer meetings, for the Sunday school, etc.
Episcopal Church. a committee elected by members of a congregation to serve with the churchwardens in managing the temporal affairs of the church.

Church of England. a meeting attended by all the parishioners or by a committee of parishioners during which the official business of the church is discussed.

Origin of vestry

1350–1400; Middle English vestrie, vestrye. See vest (v.), -ery

Related formsves·tral, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for vestry

sanctuary, shrine, church, oratory, tabernacle, bethel, chantry, vestry

Examples from the Web for vestry

Contemporary Examples of vestry

It was in the vestry where the choir was putting on its garments.
Joseph Campbell on the Roots of Halloween
Joseph Campbell
October 31, 2014

Historical Examples of vestry

He drove on, almost to the vestry, and found no trace of her.
Meadow Grass
Alice Brown
By the time they entered Tiverton Street, the vestry was full of chattering groups.
Meadow Grass
Alice Brown
You'll find a fire in the vestry, on account of the painters.
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens
At Rettenden, Essex, there is a room over the vestry which has evidently been an anchor-hold.
English Villages
P. H. Ditchfield
He returned the bottle to his pocket, and went to the vestry for his surplice.
The Channings
Mrs. Henry Wood

British Dictionary definitions for vestry

vestry

noun plural -tries

a room in or attached to a church in which vestments, sacred vessels, etc, are kept
a room in or attached to some churches, used for Sunday school, meetings, etc
Church of England
1. a meeting of all the members of a parish or their representatives, to transact the official business of the parish
2. the body of members meeting for this; the parish council
Episcopal Church Anglican Church a committee of vestrymen chosen by the congregation to manage the temporal affairs of their church

Derived Formsvestral, adjective

Word Origin for vestry

C14: probably from Old French vestiarie; see vest

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

Word Origin and History for vestry

late 14c., probably from Anglo-French *vesterie, from Old French vestiaire "room for vestments," from Latin vestarium "wardrobe," noun use of neuter of vestiarius (adj.) "of clothes," from vestis "garment" (see vest (v.)).