A cloister is a covered walkway around a courtyard in a monastery, convent, or church. It is often used as a quiet place for walking, prayer, and study.
“Cloister” comes from Old French “cloistre,” from Latin “claustrum,” meaning “enclosure” or “place shut in.” It is related to the Latin verb “claudere,” meaning “to shut or close.”
The word “cloistered” still means shut away from the world, just like monks in their enclosed walkways. The same Latin root also gives us “close,” “exclude,” and “claustrophobia”—all about being shut in or out.
Cloisters historically housed both monks and nuns, but women's cloistered lives were often used to restrict their education, mobility, and public voice. Descriptions sometimes romanticize women's seclusion while ignoring its constraints.
When using 'cloister' metaphorically, avoid reinforcing stereotypes of women as naturally suited to seclusion or domestic confinement; describe specific institutional rules and choices instead.
["seclude","isolate","convent","monastery"]
When discussing cloistered communities, note women who produced significant scholarship, art, and music from within convents despite restrictions on their public engagement.
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