Plural of friary; multiple buildings or communities where friars live, work, and practice their religious faith.
Plural form of 'friary,' which comes from Old French 'frerie' or 'fraerie,' derived from 'frere' meaning 'brother.' The '-ary' suffix indicates a place where something happens, as in 'library' or 'apiary.'
During medieval times, friaries were often centers of learning and charity, quite different from secluded monasteries—friars would go out into towns to preach and help people. You can still see the ruins of hundreds of friaries across Europe, especially after King Henry VIII dissolved them in the 1500s!
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