vestry

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ves=try

CIDE DICTIONARY

vestry, n. [OE. vestrye, F. vestiaire, L. vestiarium, fr. vestiarius belonging to clothes, fr. vestis a garment. See Vest, n., and cf. Vestiary.].

•  A room appendant to a church, in which sacerdotal vestments and sacred utensils are sometimes kept, and where meetings for worship or parish business are held; a sacristy; -- formerly called revestiary.  [1913 Webster]

  "He said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshipers of Baal."  [1913 Webster]
•  A parochial assembly; an assembly of persons who manage parochial affairs; -- so called because usually held in a vestry.  [1913 Webster]
•  A body, composed of wardens and vestrymen, chosen annually by a parish to manage its temporal concerns.  [1913 Webster]

Metropolitan vestry, in the city of London, and certain specified parishes and places in England, a body composed of householders who pay poor rates. Its duties include the repair of churches, care of highways, the appointment of certain officers, etc. -- Select vestry, a select number of persons chosen in large and populous English parishes to represent and manage the concerns of the parish for one year. Mozley & W. -- Vestry board (Ch. of Eng.), a vestry. See def. 2, above. -- Vestry clerk, an officer chosen by the vestry, who keeps a record of its proceedings; also, in England, one who keeps the parish accounts and books. -- Vestry meeting, the meeting of a vestry or vestry board; also, a meeting of a parish held in a vestry or other place.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

vestry, n. (pl. -ies)
1 a room or building attached to a church for keeping vestments in.
2 hist. a a meeting of parishioners usu. in a vestry for parochial business. b a body of parishioners meeting in this way.

Derivative

vestral adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF vestiaire, vestiarie, f. L vestiarium (as VEST)

THESAURUS

vestry

Council of Nicaea, Council of Trent, Easter sepulcher, Lateran Council, Vatican Council, ambry, apse, baptistery, blindstory, chancel, chapter, choir, classis, cloisters, conciliarism, conclave, conference, confessional, confessionary, congregation, consistory, convention, convocation, crypt, diaconicon, diaconicum, diocesan conference, ecclesiastical council, ecumenical council, nave, parochial church council, parochial council, plenary council, porch, presbytery, rood loft, rood stair, rood tower, sacrarium, sacristy, session, synod, transept, triforium

ROGET THESAURUS

vestry

Council

N council, committee, subcommittee, comitia, court, chamber, cabinet, board, bench, staff, senate, senatus, parliament, chamber of deputies, directory, reichsrath, rigsdag, cortes, storthing, witenagemote, junta, divan, musnud, sanhedrim, classis, Amphictyonic council, duma, house of representatives, legislative assembly, legislative council, riksdag, volksraad, witan, caput, consistory, chapter, syndicate, court of appeal, board of control, board of works, vestry, county council, local board, audience chamber, council chamber, state chamber, cabinet council, privy council, cockpit, convocation, synod, congress, convention, diet, states-general, assembly, caucus, conclave, clique, conventicle, meeting, sitting, seance, conference, convention, exhibition, session, palaver, pourparler, durbar, house, quorum, council fire, powwow, primary, meeting, assemblage, member, senator, member of parliament, M, P, councilor, representative of the people, assemblyman, congressman, councilman, councilwoman, alderman, freeholder, senatorial, curule, congressional, parliamentary, legislative, law-making, regulatory, deliberative.

Churchdom

N church, churchdom, ministry, apostleship, priesthood, prelacy, hierarch, church government, christendom, pale of the church, clericalism, sacerdotalism, episcopalianism, ultramontanism, theocracy, ecclesiology, ecclesiologist, priestcraft, odium theologicum, monachism, monachy, monasticism, monkhood, pontificate, primacy, archbishopric, archiepiscopacy, prelacy, bishopric, bishopdom, episcopate, episcopacy, see, diocese, deanery, stall, canonry, canonicate, prebend, prebendaryship, benefice, incumbency, glebe, advowson, living, cure, rectorship, vicariate, vicarship, deaconry, deaconship, curacy, chaplain, chaplaincy, chaplainship, cardinalate, cardinalship, abbacy, presbytery, holy orders, ordination, institution, consecration, induction, reading in, preferment, translation, presentation, popedom, the Vatican, the apostolic see, religious sects, council, conclave, convocation, synod, consistory, chapter, vestry, sanhedrim, conge d'elire, ecclesiastical courts, consistorial court, court of Arches, ecclesiastical, ecclesiological, clerical, sacerdotal, priestly, prelatical, pastoral, ministerial, capitular, theocratic, hierarchical, archiepiscopal, episcopal, episcopalian, canonical, monastic, monachal, monkish, abbatial, abbatical, Anglican, pontifical, papal, apostolic, Roman, Popish, ultramontane, priest-ridden.

Temple

N temple, place of worship, house of God, house of prayer, temple, cathedral, minster, church, kirk, chapel, meetinghouse, bethel, tabernacle, conventicle, basilica, fane, holy place, chantry, oratory, synagogue, mosque, marabout, pantheon, pagoda, joss house, dogobah, tope, kiosk, kiack, masjid, parsonage, rectory, vicarage, manse, deanery, glebe, Vatican, bishop's palace, Lambeth, altar, shrine, sanctuary, Holy of Holies, sanctum sanctorum, sacristy, sacrarium, communion table, holy table, Lord's table, table of the Lord, pyx, baptistery, font, piscina, stoup, aumbry, sedile, reredos, rood loft, rood screen, chancel, quire, choir, nave, aisle, transept, vestry, crypt, golgotha, calvary, Easter sepulcher, stall, pew, pulpit, ambo, lectern, reading desk, confessional, prothesis, credence, baldachin, baldacchino, apse, belfry, chapter house, presbytery, anxious-bench, anxious-seat, diaconicum, jube, mourner's bench, mourner's seat, cloisters, churchyard, monastery, priory, abbey, friary, convent, nunnery, cloister, claustral, cloistered, monastic, monasterial, conventual, ne vile fano, there's nothing ill can dwell in such a temple.