noun C2 Proficient

cloister

KLOYS-tuh

Cloister (noun) means a covered walkway bordering a courtyard, typically in a monastery or similar religious building. Example: “Tourists wandered through the cathedral's ancient stone cloister.”

noun

A covered walkway bordering a courtyard, typically in a monastery or similar religious building.

"Tourists wandered through the cathedral's ancient stone cloister."

"Monks would walk the cloister in silent prayer each morning."

A monastery, convent, or similarly secluded religious place — or, more broadly, life lived in one.

"She left city life behind to enter the cloister as a nun."

verb

To shut someone away from the outside world, whether by choice or not.

"He cloistered himself in his study for weeks while finishing the manuscript."

How to use cloister

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA quiet, enclosed place cut off from the outside world — or the act of shutting yourself (or someone else) away like that.

Common pairings

cloistered life monastic cloister cloister oneself away

Word forms

cloistered past tense, cloisters plural, cloisters singular

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Tourists wandered through the cathedral's ancient stone _____.

Etymology

From Old French cloistre, going back to Latin claustrum, "a place shut in" — from claudere, "to close." The same root gives us "claustrophobia."

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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religious residence

Rhymes for cloister

sister lister mister twister meister blister keister minister sinister register magister banister

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Frequently asked questions

What does “cloister” mean?

The word “cloister” means a covered walkway bordering a courtyard, typically in a monastery or similar religious building. In plain terms, a quiet, enclosed place cut off from the outside world — or the act of shutting yourself (or someone else) away like that.

How do you pronounce “cloister”?

“Cloister” is pronounced KLOYS-tuh (/ˈklɔɪstɚ/ in IPA).

How do you use “cloister” in a sentence?

Here is “cloister” used in a sentence: “Tourists wandered through the cathedral's ancient stone cloister.”

What part of speech is “cloister”?

Depending on how it is used, “cloister” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “cloister” come from?

The word “cloister” comes from Latin. From Old French cloistre, going back to Latin claustrum, "a place shut in" — from claudere, "to close." The same root gives us "claustrophobia.".

How many meanings does “cloister” have?

“Cloister” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a covered walkway bordering a courtyard, typically in a monastery or similar religious building.

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