cenobite

See also: cénobite

English

Alternative forms

• coenobite
• cœnobite (obsolete)

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.

Translations

monk who lives in a religious community, rather than in solitude

• Catalan: cenobita m or f
• Dutch: cenobiet (nl) m
• French: cénobite (fr) m
• Greek: κοινοβίτης (el) m (koinovítis), κοινοβιάτης (el) m (koinoviátis)

  Ancient: κοινοβιάτης m (koinobiátēs)

• Italian: cenobita (it) m
• Polish: cenobita (pl) m
• Portuguese: cenobita (pt) m
• Russian: кинови́т m (kinovít)
• Spanish: cenobita (es) m or f

See also

• monk
• nun
• religious

Old French

Noun

cenobite oblique singular, m (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