abbot

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The superior of a monastery.
2. n. Used as a title for such a person.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Literally, father: a title originally given to any monk, but afterward limited to the head or superior of a monastery. It was formerly especially used in the order of St. Benedict, rector being employed by the Jesuits, guardianus by the Franciscans, prior by the Dominicans, and archimandrite or hegoumenos by the Greek and Oriental churches, to designate the same office. Originally the abbots, like the monks, were usually laymen; later they were required to be in holy orders. They were at first subject to the bishop of the diocese; but in the contentions between the bishops and abbots the latter in many cases gradually acquired exemption from jurisdiction of the bishops and became subject to the pope directly, or to an abbot-general, or archabbot, who exercised a supervision over several associated abbeys. As the influence of the religious orders increased, the power, dignity, and wealth of the abbots increased proportionally; many of them held rank as temporal lords, and, as mitered abbots, exercised certain episcopal functions in the territory surrounding their monasteries. In the reign of Henry VIII. twenty-six abbots sat in the House of Lords. Until the sixth century abbots were chosen from the monks by the bishop; since that time they have been generally elected by the monks themselves, ordinarily for life. In some instances, where the administration of the revenues of an abbey fell under the civil authority, the conferring of the benefice, and therefore the nomination of the abbot, came into the hands of the temporal sovereign, a practice variously regulated by concordats with the different countries. The right of confirmation varies; the solemn benediction of an abbot ordinarily belongs to the bishop of the diocese, occasionally to the head abbot, or to a special bishop chosen by the abbot elect. In some instances of exempt abbeys it has been conferred by the pope in person.
2. n. In later usage, loosely applied to the holder of one of certain non-monastic offices. The principal of a body of parochial clergy, as an Episcopal rector.
3. n. A title retained in Hanover, Würtemberg, Brunswick, and Schleswig-Holstein by the heads of certain Protestant institutions to which the property of various abbeys was transferred at the Reformation. See abbess
4. n. The chief magistrate of the Genoese in Galata.

Wiktionary

1. n. A layman who received the abbey's revenues, after the closing of the monasteries.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The superior or head of an abbey.
2. n. One of a class of bishops whose sees were formerly abbeys.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the superior of an abbey of monks