n The superior or head of an abbey or monastery. (defdate|First attested around the early 12th century.)(reference-book | last = Dobbie | first = Elliott K. | coauthors = Dunmore, C. William, et al. | editor = Barnhart, Robert K.| title = Chambers Dictionary of Etymology | origyear = 1998 | year = 2004 | publisher = Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd | location = Edinburgh, Scotland | isbn =0550142304 | pages = 2)(reference-book | last =| first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | editor =Brown, Lesley | others = | title = The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary | origdate = | origyear = 1933| origmonth = | url = | format = | accessdate = | accessyear = | accessmonth = | edition = 5th | date = | year =2003| month = | publisher =Oxford University Press | location =Oxford, UK | language = | id = | doi = | isbn =978-0-19-860575-7 | lccn = | ol = | pages =3| chapter = | chapterurl = | quote =)
n A layman who received the abbey's revenues, after the closing of the monasteries.