Meanings
plural leproseries · alternative leprosary · alternative leproserie
- A building used to house lepers, usually in permanent quarantine from the rest of society.
There was a rule that the leproserie should take contagious cases only.
1961, Graham Greene, Burnt-out Case, page 131 more example
Lewis VIII, king of France, made bequests in the year 1227 to two thousand Leprosaries within his own dominions.
1818 Aug., Friend of India, p. 92Synonyms: lazar house, leper house
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA building used to house lepers, usually in permanent quarantine from the rest of society.
Origin
- Medieval Latinleprōsārium
- Frenchléproserie
- Englishleprosery
Borrowed from French léproserie and léprosarie, from Medieval Latin leprōsārium, from leprōsus (“leprous”) + -ārium (“-ary: building related to”). Equivalent to leprose + -ery.
More words from French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian лепрозо́рий
- лепрозо́рий (leprozórij)building used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
Dutch leprozerie, leprozenhuis
- leprozeriebuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
- leprozenhuisbuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
- lazerijbuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
French léproserie, ladrerie
- léproseriebuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
- ladreriebuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
- maladreriebuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
German Leprakrankenhaus, Lepraheim
- Leprakrankenhausbuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
- Lepraheimbuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
- Leprosoriumbuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
- Leprosenhausbuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
Greek λαζαρέτο
- λαζαρέτο (lazaréto)building used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
Italian lebbrosario, lazzaretto
- lebbrosariobuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
- lazzarettobuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
Latin leprosorium, leprosarium
- leprosoriumbuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
- leprosariumbuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
Norwegian leprosarium
- leprosariumbuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
Polish leprozorium
- leprozoriumbuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
Portuguese leprosário, lazareto
- leprosáriobuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
- lazaretobuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
- leprosóriobuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
- gafariabuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
- leprosariabuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
Tagalog ketungan
- ketunganbuilding used to quarantine and treat lepers — see also leper colony
Cite this entry
leprosery. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leprosery
“leprosery.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leprosery. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “leprosery,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leprosery.
Source: leprosery on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.