1. A woman who lives in a cloister; a nun or female member of a religious community.
Usage: archaic or literary; less common than 'nun'

Examples

• The cloistress spent her days in prayer and contemplation within the convent walls.
• Medieval cloistresses maintained strict vows of silence and obedience.
• She became a cloistress after renouncing her worldly possessions.
• The cloistress tended the monastery garden as part of her daily duties.