1. a woman who withdraws from the world to live as a religious hermit, typically walled into a cell attached to a church
Usage: historical; religious

Examples

• The medieval anchoress spent her days in prayer and contemplation.
• Julian of Norwich was a famous 14th-century anchoress and mystic.
• The anchoress received food through a small window in her cell.
• Many anchoresses were considered holy women by their communities.
• The church still contains the remains of an anchoress’s cell.
• She chose to become an anchoress after experiencing religious visions.