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
1
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."
2
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
1
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 notesIn 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
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like cloister.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- cloisters
- Third person singular
- cloisters
- Past tense
- cloistered
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
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."
Synonyms
View more →
religious residence
Rhymes for cloister
See all rhymes for cloister →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.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include cloister:
