cloister.

1. A covered walk, usually around a courtyard, attached to a religious house.

2. A monastery or convent considered as a secluded religious institution.

3. To shut someone away from ordinary social contact.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• cloister garth
• vaulted cloister
• walk through the cloisters

On the page

Rain fell into the courtyard while the cloister remained dry.

She recognized his footsteps before he emerged from the cloister.

The cloisters connected the sleeping quarters to a chapel no one used.

Usage notes

Primary category: gothic. Also denotes monastic seclusion or a monastery; the noun need not imply imprisonment. The verb means to seclude. Plural cloisters. Separate verb: cloister, cloisters, cloistered, cloistering.