nunnery

N1U1N1N1E1R1Y4
/ˈnʌn(ə)ɹi/

noun

Any convent (religious community) or the buildings thereof.

Similar
conventribatbrothel
OriginMiddle English nonnery →
UncommonScrabble 10
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Meanings

nunnery1

nounnunnery (plural nunneries)

plural nunneries

  1. Any convent (religious community) or the buildings thereof.
    1. ChristianityThe residence of a female religious community, a monastery or abbey for nuns.

      Get thee to a nunnery, why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?

      c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]

      Synonyms: convent, convent, ribat

  2. humorousobsoleteslangSynonym of brothel.

    To the antipapist Tudors nunnery was a slang term for a brothel.

    1977, J.T. Shipley, In Praise of England, page 194
    1 more example

    [To] some one Gentleman generally acquainted, they giue... free priuiledge thenceforward in theyr Nunnery, to procure them frequentance...

    1593, Thomas Nashe, Christs Teares ouer Ierusalem, page 79

    Synonyms: brothel

Nunnery2

proper nounNunnery (plural Nunnerys)

plural Nunnerys

  1. A surname.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe residence of a female religious community, a monastery or abbey for nuns.

Similar
conventconventribat

nounSynonym of brothel.

Similar
brothel
Broader
monastery
Also see
brothelconvent

Origin

  1. Middle Englishnonnery
  2. Englishnunnery

From Middle English nonnery, nonnerie, equivalent to nun + -ery. (brothel): Compare typologically Czech nevěstinec (< nevěstka < nevěsta).

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic دَيْر, رَهْبَنَة نِسْوِيّ
  • دَيْرresidence for nuns
  • رَهْبَنَة نِسْوِيّ (rahbana niswiyy)residence for nuns
Bulgarian мето́х
  • мето́х (metóh)residence for nuns
Chinese Mandarin 女修道院, 庵
  • 女修道院 (nǔ xiūdàoyuàn)residence for nuns
  • 庵 (ān)residence for nuns
  • 庵堂 (āntáng)residence for nuns
  • 尼姑庵 (nígū'ān)residence for nuns
Dutch nonnenklooster
  • nonnenkloosterresidence for nuns
Esperanto monaĥinejo
  • monaĥinejoresidence for nuns
Finnish nunnaluostari
  • nunnaluostariresidence for nuns
French couvent
  • couventresidence for nuns
German Nonnenkloster
  • Nonnenklosterresidence for nuns
Greek μονή
  • μονή (moní)residence for nuns
Hungarian apácakolostor, zárda
  • apácakolostorresidence for nuns
  • zárdaresidence for nuns
Irish clochar
  • clocharresidence for nuns
Italian convento
  • conventoresidence for nuns
Latin coenobium, monastērium
  • coenobiumresidence for nuns
  • monastēriumresidence for nuns
  • conventusresidence for nuns
Māori whare none
  • whare noneresidence for nuns
Polish klasztor (żeński)
  • klasztor (żeński)residence for nuns
Portuguese convento
  • conventoresidence for nuns
Romanian mănăstire (de maici)
  • mănăstire (de maici)residence for nuns
Russian же́нский монасты́рь
  • же́нский монасты́рь (žénskij monastýrʹ)residence for nuns
Spanish convento
  • conventoresidence for nuns
Swedish nunnekloster
  • nunneklosterresidence for nuns
Cite this entry
APA

nunnery. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nunnery

MLA

“nunnery.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nunnery. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nunnery,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nunnery.

Source: nunnery on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.