Dictionary

anchorite en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈæŋ.kə(ˌ)ɹaɪt/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂en- Proto-Hellenic *aná Ancient Greek ᾰ̓νᾰ́ (ănắ) Ancient Greek ἀνα- (ana-) Ancient Greek χῶρος (khôros) Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *-eyéti Proto-Indo-European *-esyéti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Ancient Greek -έω (-éō) Ancient Greek χωρέω (khōréō) Ancient Greek ἀνᾰχωρέω (anăkhōréō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek ἀναχωρητής (anakhōrētḗs)bor. Latin anachōrēta Latin anchōrētader. English anchorite From Ancient Greek ἀναχωρητής (anakhōrētḗs, “anchorite”), from ἀναχωρέω (anakhōréō, “to withdraw, retire”), via Latin anchōrēta, a variant of anachōrēta (“anchorite”), see -ite.

Meanings

1. One who lives in isolation or seclusion, especially for religious reasons; hermit.
   • “Haven't you been in love since you came to Paris?” “I haven't got time for that sort of nonsense. Life isn't long enough for love and art.” “Your appearance doesn't suggest the anchorite.” 1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, chapter XXI, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:
   • The household was diminished, and its expenses curtailed. There was a very blank anchorite repast when Pen dined from home: and he himself headed the remonstrance from the kitchen regarding the deteriorated quality of the Fairoaks beer. 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 3, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
   • He must not dilute his own soul’s essence. He must not surrender to any passion his dandihood. The dandy must be celibate, cloistral; is, indeed, but a monk with a mirror for beads and breviary—an anchorite, mortifying his soul that his body may be perfect. 1911, Max Beerbohm, chapter II, in Zuleika Dobson:
   • Oh, hang him? He's a very Anchorite—a young Hermit! 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, IV.iii:
   • About 1150 some Palestinian anchorites adopted the eremitical rule of St. Basil, and spread throughout Palestine; when the Moslems captured the Holy Land these "Carmelites" migrated to Cyprus, Sicily, France, and England. 1950, Will Durant, The Age of Faith, Simon and Schuster,, page 792:
   • The preposterous altruism too![…]Resist not evil. It is an insane immolation of self—as bad intrinsically as fakirs stabbing themselves or anchorites warping their spines in caves scarcely large enough for a fair-sized dog. 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVI, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

Forms

Coordinates

anchoress

Deriveds

anchoritic · anchoritish · anchoritess · anchoritism

Relateds

anchor

Synonyms

anchorist · recluse · eremite · hermit · anchor

Translations (38)

eo anakoreto (one who lives in seclusion) · fi anakoreetti (one who lives in seclusion) · es anacoreta (one who lives in seclusion) · sv anakoret (one who lives in seclusion) · pl anachoretka (one who lives in seclusion) · oc anacorèta (one who lives in seclusion) · nl anachoreet (one who lives in seclusion) · de Einsiedler (one who lives in seclusion) · el αναχωρητής (one who lives in seclusion) · nl kluizenaar (one who lives in seclusion) · ga ancaire (one who lives in seclusion) · ang ancor (one who lives in seclusion) · hy անապատական (one who lives in seclusion) · it anacoreta (one who lives in seclusion) · mk затворник (one who lives in seclusion) · de Klausner (one who lives in seclusion) · it eremita (one who lives in seclusion) · fi erakko (any hermit) (one who lives in seclusion) · pt anacoreta (one who lives in seclusion) · de Eremit (one who lives in seclusion) · ru затво́рник (one who lives in seclusion) · pl anachoreta (one who lives in seclusion) · hu remete (one who lives in seclusion) · nl heremiet (one who lives in seclusion) · fr anachorète (one who lives in seclusion) · enm ankre (one who lives in seclusion) · gd aonaran (one who lives in seclusion) · cs poustevník (one who lives in seclusion) · pl pustelnik (one who lives in seclusion) · eo dezertulo (one who lives in seclusion) · eo anaĥoreto (one who lives in seclusion) · ru анахоре́т (one who lives in seclusion) · eo ermito (one who lives in seclusion) · de Anachoret (one who lives in seclusion) · sv eremit (one who lives in seclusion) · cop ⲁⲛⲁⲭⲱⲣⲏⲧⲏⲥ (one who lives in seclusion) · bg отшелник (one who lives in seclusion) · pl pustelniczka (one who lives in seclusion)

wikipedia: anchorite