A woman who has taken religious vows and lives in a convent as part of a religious community. Nuns typically dedicate their lives to prayer, service, and spiritual contemplation.
From Old English nunne, borrowed from Late Latin nonna meaning 'nun' or originally 'child's nurse.' The Latin term may derive from a child's word for grandmother or elderly woman. The religious meaning developed in early Christianity as women began forming religious communities.
The famous 'Flying Nun' character popularized the image of nuns wearing large winged habits, but most modern nuns wear simple, practical clothing rather than the elaborate medieval habits many people picture. Some orders have adapted so much to contemporary life that nuns might be indistinguishable from laypeople in their daily dress.
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