cenobite

See also: cénobite

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old French cenobite or Ecclesiastical Latin coenobīta, from coenobium, from Ancient Greek κοινόβιον (koinóbion, community life, convent), from κοινός (koinós, common) + βίος (bíos, life).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: sĕnʹə-bīt', sēʹnə-bīt'
  • IPA(key): /ˈsɛn.əˌbaɪt/, /ˈsiː.nəˌbaɪt/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

cenobite (plural cenobites)

  1. A new or recent member of a Greek monastic religious order; a caloyer.
    • 1980, Anthony Burgess, Earthly Powers, page 418:
      Lamprecht knew very well how the war was going and was perfunctory in his rounding up of Jews and cenobites.
  2. A monk who lives in a religious community, rather than in solitude.
    Coordinate term: eremite
  3. (fiction) A torturous demon creature made famous by the Hellraiser series.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Old French

Noun

cenobite oblique singularm (oblique plural cenobites, nominative singular cenobites, nominative plural cenobite)

  1. cenobite (monk who lives in a religious community, rather than in solitude)

Descendants

  • English: cenobite
  • French: cénobite