What does cellarer mean?
A cellarer is the official in a monastery or similar religious community entrusted with managing its provisions — food, drink, fuel, and other daily necessities. The role was among the most consequential offices in monastic life: under the Rule of St Benedict, the cellarer was instructed to be prudent, even-tempered, and caring toward the brethren, since everything the community ate or used passed through his hands. The term derives from Latin 'cella', meaning store-room, via Old French, and entered English in the Middle Ages alongside the spread of Benedictine and Cistercian houses. Though the office survives vestigially in some religious communities today, 'cellarer' is now chiefly a word of medieval history and ecclesiastical writing. Its connotations are archaic and formal, evoking keys, storerooms, and the quiet administrative machinery that kept a cloistered world supplied.
nounThe officer in a monastery or other religious house responsible for provisioning food, drink, and other supplies for the community.
- The monk or officer in a religious house charged with procuring and managing provisions such as food, drink, and household supplies.
"As cellarer, Brother Anselm managed the abbey's stores of grain, wine, and salt with meticulous care."
"The cellarer inspected the granary each morning to ensure the winter stores remained secure."
"Under the new cellarer, the priory's kitchen never lacked bread, ale, or candle wax."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple holders of the office across different houses or periods.
"Medieval records show that many cellarers rose to become abbots."
In a medieval monastery, the cellarer held one of the most powerful jobs short of abbot — controlling every morsel of food and drop of wine the entire community consumed.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cellarer
Cellarer comes from Latin 'cellarius', meaning keeper of a store-room, itself derived from 'cella', a small chamber or pantry. The word passed into Old French as 'celerier' before entering Middle English in the medieval period, when monastic institutions made it a familiar title. It shares its ultimate root with 'cell' and 'cellar'.
How cellarer is actually used
A historical and ecclesiastical term, chiefly encountered in discussions of monastic life, medieval history, or translations of texts like the Rule of St Benedict. It carries an archaic, formal register and is rarely used outside these contexts.
Easily confused with cellarer
A cellar is a storage room below ground, while a cellarer is the person who manages such provisions, especially in a monastery.
A bursar handles finances and accounts, whereas a cellarer specifically manages food and material provisions.