anchoresses
/ˈæŋkərəsɪz/
noun
- Plural form of anchoress; women who live solitary religious lives, often confined to small cells for prayer.
- Several anchoresses lived in the same town, each in her own small cell attached to a church.
- The writings of medieval anchoresses provide insight into spiritual life of that era.
- Historians have studied the daily routines of anchoresses to understand their devotion.