vestry
[ ves-tree ]
/ ˈvɛs tri /
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.
Nearby words
- vesting,
- vestmannaeyjar,
- vestment,
- vestmental,
- vestments,
- vestryman,
- vesture,
- vesuvian,
- vesuvianite,
- vesuvianite jade
Origin of vestry
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for vestry
vestry
/ (ˈvɛstrɪ) /
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
- a meeting of all the members of a parish or their representatives, to transact the official business of the parish
- 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
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
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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.)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper