— anchoritic /ang'keuh rit"ik/ , adj. — anchoritically , adv. — anchoritism /ang"keuh ruy tiz'euhm/ , n.
/ang"keuh ruyt'/ , n.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion; hermit.
Also, anchoret .
[ 1400-50; late ME anc ( h ) orite, conflation of ME ancre (OE ancra, ancer ) and OF anacorite or ML anachorita anachoretés, equiv. to Gk anachore-, s. of anachoreîn to withdraw ( ana- ANA- + choreîn to give way, v. deriv. of chôros space) + -tes agent suffix; OE forms ancharae anachoreta ]