abbot

Everyday

1. (church) An abbot is the man in charge of an abbey, a community of monks who live, pray and work together. tree →
2. (history) In the Middle Ages an abbot could also be a powerful landowner, as important as a lord. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons about monasteries, castles and the Middle Ages, the abbot runs the abbey, keeps its rules and looks after its lands and money; in stories he is often wise, sometimes greedy or strict. The woman who leads a community of nuns is an abbess. Phrases: the abbot of the abbey, Father Abbot.

Examples

• The abbot rang the bell for morning prayers. tree →
• Every monk in the abbey obeyed the abbot. tree →
• The old abbot welcomed the tired travellers and gave them bread. tree →
• In 1539 King Henry VIII closed the abbeys and the abbots lost their lands. tree →
• Our class visited the ruins of an abbey where an abbot once lived. tree →
• The abbot wrote down the rules the monks had to follow. tree →
• In the story, a greedy abbot hid the gold under the chapel floor. tree →

Note

Countable: one abbot, two abbots. Use «an»: an abbot. Spelling: two b's, one t at the end. The female form is abbess. Do not mix up abbot (the leader) with abbey (the building and community): the abbot lives in the abbey. A monk is any member; the abbot is the head.