The Collaborative International Dictionary
Cloister \Clois"ter\, n. [OF. cloistre, F. clo[^i]tre, L. claustrum, pl. claustra, bar, bolt, bounds, fr. claudere, clausum, to close. See Close, v. t., and cf. Claustral.]
An inclosed place. [Obs.]
--Chaucer.-
A covered passage or ambulatory on one side of a court; (pl.) the series of such passages on the different sides of any court, esp. that of a monastery or a college.
But let my due feet never fail To walk the studious cloister's pale.
--Milton. -
A monastic establishment; a place for retirement from the world for religious duties.
Fitter for a cloister than a crown.
--Daniel.Cloister garth (Arch.), the garden or open part of a court inclosed by the cloisters.
Syn: Cloister, Monastery, Nunnery, Convent, Abbey, Priory.
Usage: Cloister and convent are generic terms, and denote a place of seclusion from the world for persons who devote their lives to religious purposes. They differ is that the distinctive idea of cloister is that of seclusion from the world, that of convent, community of living. Both terms denote houses for recluses of either sex. A cloister or convent for monks is called a monastery; for nuns, a nunnery. An abbey is a convent or monastic institution governed by an abbot or an abbess; a priory is one governed by a prior or a prioress, and is usually affiliated to an abbey.
Usage examples of "cloister garth".
And Cadfael turned back into the cloister garth, and paced the bleached wintry sward very thoughtfully.
They returned by a different route, along the east range of the cloister garth and into the church through a processional door in the south transept.
Since Ciaran was sitting quietly in the cloister garth, it seemed a pity he should be made to walk through the gardens to the herbarium, when Cadfaels broad brown feet were in excellent condition, and sensibly equipped with stout sandals.
Emrys put an arrow through his heart, right there in the cloister garth, or Ulric would have destroyed us all.
It was not seemly for the girl Daalny to mingle with the brothers throughout the day, but she watched with tireless interest from the steps of the guesthall, as the hunters emerged from one doorway after another, from grange court to stable-yard, from the dortoir by the outer daystairs, into the cloister garth, out again by the scriptorium, across to the infirmary, and always empty-handed.
Biting back tears of anger and frustration, he gave the mare an apologetic pat on the neck and turned away, scrambling over the snow-covered rubble toward the open cloister garth.
Their breath fogged on the air before them as they made their way through a slype to skirt the northern side of the cloister garth.
Creeping past the great processional door-barred now-which led, by day, from cloister garth to church, they found their way blocked by yet another brass grillework.