Trappist
noun, adjective
Forms Trappists
- noun A monk or nun of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (a branch of the Cistercians Roman Catholic religious brotherhood that use a particularly strict interpretation of the Rule of St Benedict).
- adjective Of or relating to this monastic order.
Synonyms
Etymology
From French trappiste, from La Trappe Abbey, the monastery where the order was originated.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A monk belonging to a branch of the Cistercian Order, which was established by Armand de Rancé in 1660 at the monastery of La Trappe in Normandy. Extreme austerity characterizes their discipline. They were introduced permanently into the United States in 1848, and have monasteries in Iowa and Kentucky.
Etymology [F. trappiste.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “Trappist”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details