Kept away from the world; sheltered or isolated, especially describing someone or something kept in a monastery or convent away from ordinary society.
From Old French 'cloistre' and Latin 'claustrum,' meaning an enclosed space or barrier. Originally referred to the covered walkways in monasteries, then to the monasteries themselves, and finally to the isolation monks experienced.
Medieval monks in cloisters didn't just choose isolation—they created some of the world's first libraries and preserved ancient knowledge through hand-copied manuscripts while the outside world suffered through the Dark Ages!
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