leprosery

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From French léproserie and léprosarie, from Medieval Latin leprōsārium, from leprōsus (leprous) + -ārium (-ary: building related to). Equivalent to leprose + -ery.

Noun

leprosery (plural leproseries)

  1. A building used to house lepers, usually in permanent quarantine from the rest of society.
    • 1818 Aug., Friend of India, p. 92:
      Lewis VIII, king of France, made bequests in the year 1227 to two thousand Leprosaries within his own dominions.
    • 1961, Graham Greene, Burnt-out Case, page 13:
      There was a rule that the leproserie should take contagious cases only.

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