The house where a rector (a clergyman or head of a parish church or school) lives.
From Medieval Latin 'rectoria,' derived from 'rector' meaning 'ruler' or 'director.' The suffix '-ory' means 'place of,' so it's literally 'the place of the rector.'
Rectors are called that because they 'rule' or 'direct' the church—'rector' comes from the same Latin root as 'rectal' and 'direct,' all meaning 'to guide' or 'straighten.'
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