a person who lives in seclusion, esp a religious recluse; hermit
Derived forms
anchoress (ˈanchoress)
feminine noun
Word origin
C15: from Medieval Latin anchorīta, from Late Latin anachōrēta, from Greek anakhōrētēs, from anakhōrein to retire, withdraw, from khōra a space
anchoret in American English
(ˈæŋkərɪt, -kəˌret)
noun
anchorite
Derived forms
anchoretic (ˌæŋkəˈretɪk)
adjective
anchoretism
noun
Word origin
[1735–45; var. of anchorite, with final vowel directly reflecting LL or LGk sp.]This word is first recorded in the period 1735–45. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: cutoff, editorial, influenza, tandem, tutorial