Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Abbey

Abbey (ab"by) , noun

[Old French abaie, abbaie, French abbaye, Latin abbatia, from abbas abbot. See Abbot.]

1.
A monastery or society of persons of either sex, secluded from the world and devoted to religion and celibacy; also, the monastic building or buildings.

The men are called monks, and governed by an abbot; the women are called nuns, and governed by an abbess.

2.
The church of a monastery.

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.