Obs. Also 4 claustur, 6 clowster. [OE. clauster, a. L. claustr-um ‘lock, bar, bolt,’ later ‘a shut up place, a cell or cloister,’ f. claud-, claus- to shut + -trum instrumental suffix. So Icel. klaustr. In ME. the word may have been formed anew from Latin. OE. had another form clústor, corresp. to OS. clústar, MDu. clûster, Du. kluister; app. repr. a pop. L. variant clūstrum. Later variants were CLOSTER and CLOISTER. (Clowster may belong to either clauster or closter.)] A cloister, cell or monastery.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Greg. Colloq. (end). Gaþ ut … to claustre. Ibid., Ælfric’s Gl., Wr.-W. 186/7. Claustrum fæsten uel clauster.
1340. Ayenb., 267. Uor claustres and uor strayte cellen.
c. 1400. Prymer, in Maskell, Mon. Rit., II. 5. The claustur of marie berith him.
1549. Chron. Grey Friars (1852), 58. The x. day of Aprill [1549], was pullyd downe the clowster in Powlles that was callyd the Pardon churcheyerd. Ibid., 64. Clowster.
1726. Ayliffe, Parerg., 6. Within the Claustres of the said Monastery.
Hence Clausterman, in Ormin clawwstremann; cf. ON. klaustra-mann a monk.
c. 1200. Ormin, 6352. For þi birrþ wel clawwstremann Onnfanngenn mikell mede.
