noun
abbey
AB-ee
noun
1
A monastery or convent, or the buildings that house it, led by an abbot or abbess.
"The monks have lived at the abbey for centuries."
2
A building that was once a monastery, now often used as a stately home or historic site.
"The family turned the old abbey into a country house."
name
1
A diminutive of the given name Abigail.
"Everyone at school calls her Abbey."
How to Use Abbey
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA monastery, or the historic building that used to be one — also a common short form of the name Abigail.
Common pairings
Westminster Abbey
abbey ruins
Word Forms
abbeys plural
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Etymology
From Old French abaïe, from Late Latin abbātia, ultimately from Latin abbās ("abbot").