prior

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prior1 officer of an abbey next below the abbot; head of offshoot of an abbey. XI. Late OE. prior, reinforced in ME. by OF. pri(o)ur (mod. prieur) — L. prior (-ōr-), sb. use of prior former, elder, superior, compar. f. OL. pri (præ PRE-) before.
So prioress (-ESS1) XXIII. — OF. prioresse. priory (-Y3) XIII. — AN. priorie, medL. priōria.

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