abbot
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1 head of a monastery (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Religionthe man who is the leader of a monastery or a group of monks.
the superior or head of an abbey or monastery for men.
ExampleThe abbot led the monks into the chapel for their morning prayers.
ExampleThe newly elected abbot was responsible for both the spiritual guidance of the monks and the financial management of the monastery's lands.
UsageThe title is used both as a common noun and as a formal title before a name.
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2 pimp or brothel associate (n.) C2 Proficiency British English Archaic Slanga man who lives with a woman who runs a brothel or who helps a prostitute find customers.
a man who is the husband or lover of a brothel-owner, or a man employed by a prostitute to find clients.
ExampleIn the old story, the abbot was a dangerous man who protected the illegal house.
ExampleThe novel depicts the gritty underworld of Victorian London, where every local abbot and pickpocket knew the movements of the city watch.
UsageThis sense is found almost exclusively in historical literature or dictionaries of Victorian slang.