☞ The men are called monks, and governed by an abbot; the women are called nuns, and governed by an abbess.
In London, the Abbey means Westminster Abbey, and in Scotland, the precincts of the Abbey of Holyrood. The name is also retained for a private residence on the site of an abbey; as, Newstead Abbey, the residence of Lord Byron.
Syn. -- Monastery; convent; nunnery; priory; cloister. See Cloister.