manse

/mæns/

Other forms: manses

Manse is an old-fashioned word used to describe the house a Protestant minister lives in. It can also refer more informally to a grand house or the main house of an estate.

The housing that a church provides for a member of its clergy can be called a clergy house, parish house, parsonage, rectory — or a manse, in the case of a Presbyterian minister's home. If your best friend lives in a twelve-bedroom house with a staff of servants, you might call her home a manse as well. The word manse, like mansion, comes from the Medieval Latin mansus, "dwelling."

Definitions of manse

1. noun

   the residence of a clergyman (especially a Presbyterian clergyman)
   type of:

   residence

   the official house or establishment of an important person (as a sovereign or president)
2. noun

   a large and imposing house
   synonyms: hall, mansion, mansion house, residence

   types:

   manor, manor house

   the mansion of a lord or wealthy person

   castle, palace

   a large and stately mansion

   stately home

   a mansion that is (or formerly was) occupied by an aristocratic family

   type of:

   house

   a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families