[pres.by.tery] n, pl -ter.ies [ME & LL; ME presbytory part of church reserved for clergy, fr. LL presbyterium group of presbyters, part of church reserved for clergy, fr. Gk presbyterion group of presbyters, fr. presbyteros elder, priest] (15c) 1: the part of a church reserved for the officiating clergy
2: a ruling body in presbyterian churches consisting of the ministers and representative elders from congregations within a district
3: the jurisdiction of a presbytery
4: the house of a Roman Catholic parish priest