Coenobium

Quick meaning: Coenobium is a noun meaning A conventual or monastic community; also, a convent or monastery.

Meaning

A conventual or monastic community; also, a convent or monastery.

More Meanings

1. A colony of algae which acts as a single organism; a coenobe.
2. A colony of unicellular organisms (such as protozoa) which acts as a single organism.
3. A fruit of a plant from either of the families Boraginaceae (the borages) or Lamiaceae which has small loculi or compartments, reminiscent of the cells in a convent or monastery.

Example Sentences

Psalmody refers to singing or reciting psalms; in the cenobium this was performed communally seven times a day.

[A]fter I had passed thirty years living in a cœnobium, I rejoice that I have also spent twenty more, so that I can never be accused of sloth among those who tried it in a half-hearted way.

Some carts are entirely filled with representatives of the Church, but these are jolly, portly fellows, who pay loyally, and hasten to secure the most delicate fare for the table of their different cœnobiums.

The Encomiast refers to St. Bertin's and St. Omer's as monasteria (II, 21, I and II) and caenobia (ibid., 15). […] The words monasterium and caenobium are, however, both freely used in medieval Latin in the sense 'collegiate church'.

Word Forms

• coenobiums
• coenobia

Synonyms for coenobium

Depending on context, synonyms include coenoby.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include cenobium, caenobium, coenoby, coenobite, covent, coenobitism.

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