dortour

A student sleeps in the dortour after studying late.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Sleeping quarters: "dortour" refers to a dormitory or sleeping room, especially in a monastery, convent, or similar institution. It is an archaic or historical term primarily used in reference to medieval religious communities.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The monks retired to the dortour after evening prayers. (Sleeping quarters in a monastery.)
  • The dortour was a simple, shared room with rows of narrow beds. (A dormitory for religious residents.)

Advanced Usage

• Historical context: The term is rarely used in modern English except in historical or architectural descriptions.
  • The abbey's dortour was located on the upper floor, adjacent to the cloister. (The sleeping chamber in a medieval religious building.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dormitory (n): a common modern synonym for a large sleeping room, especially in schools or colleges.

  • The students lived in a dormitory with four beds per room. (A shared sleeping space.)

• Dortour is a variant spelling of dorter (n), which is more commonly used in historical texts.

  • The dorter was connected to the church by a night stair. (The sleeping quarters of a monastery.)

Synonyms

• Dormitory: a large room with multiple beds for sleeping.
• Bedchamber: a formal or historical term for a bedroom.
• Cell: a small personal sleeping room in a monastery (contrasts with the communal dortour).

Related Idioms

• No common idioms are associated with "dortour" due to its archaic and specialized nature.