refectory means A dining hall, especially in an institution such as a college or monastery. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 84 out of 100.
refectory is pronounced /ɹɪˈfɛkt(ə)ɹi/.
Why “refectory” is a great word
REFECTORY — [Noun] A communal dining hall for the residents of a monastery, convent, or college. Via Middle English refectori from Late Latin refectorium, from Latin reficere (“to remake, to rebuild”). Unlike a “cafeteria,” with its secular bustle and self-service, or a “mess hall,” with its martial utility, a refectory is a formal, architectural space for seated, communal meals within a dedicated order. It is the long oak table polished by generations of elbows, the slow echo of a grace spoken into vaulted stone, and the quiet clatter of pewter under the gaze of a darkened portrait. It is where the body is remade, not merely fed.
Etymology
Via Middle English refectori from Late Latin refectorium, from Latin reficere (“to remake, to rebuild”).
noun
- A dining hall, especially in an institution such as a college or monastery.“They compare very well with similar cafes elsewhere and the quality, for example, is far better and the price cheaper than in my college refectory.”