From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Revestiary \Re*ves"ti*a*ry\, noun [LL. revestiarium: cf. F. revestiaire. See {Revest}.] The apartment, in a church or temple, where the vestments, etc., are kept; -- now contracted into {vestry}.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Vestry \Ves"try\, noun; pl. {Vestries}. [OE. vestrye, F. vestiaire, L. vestiarium, fr. vestiarius belonging to clothes, fr. vestis a garment. See {Vest}, noun, and cf. {Vestiary}.]
1. A room appendant to a church, in which sacerdotal vestments and sacred utensils are sometimes kept, and where meetings for worship or parish business are held; a sacristy; -- formerly called revestiary.
He said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshipers of Baal. --2 Kings x. 22.
2. (Ch. of Eng.) A parochial assembly; an assembly of persons who manage parochial affairs; -- so called because usually held in a vestry.
3. (Prot. Epis. Ch.) A body, composed of wardens and vestrymen, chosen annually by a parish to manage its temporal concerns.
{Metropolitan vestry}, in the city of London, and certain specified parishes and places in England, a body composed of householders who pay poor rates. Its duties include the repair of churches, care of highways, the appointment of certain officers, etc.
{Select vestry}, a select number of persons chosen in large and populous English parishes to represent and manage the concerns of the parish for one year. --Mozley & W.
{Vestry board} (Ch. of Eng.), a vestry. See def. 2, above.
{Vestry clerk}, an officer chosen by the vestry, who keeps a record of its proceedings; also, in England, one who keeps the parish accounts and books.
{Vestry meeting}, the meeting of a vestry or vestry board; also, a meeting of a parish held in a vestry or other place.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: in the Protestant Episcopal Church: a committee elected by the congregation to work with the churchwardens in managing the temporal affairs of the church
2: a room in a church where sacred vessels and vestments are kept or meetings are held [syn: {sacristy}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
44 Moby Thesaurus words for "vestry": Council of Nicaea, Council of Trent, Easter sepulcher, Lateran Council, Vatican Council, ambry, apse, baptistery, blindstory, chancel, chapter, choir, classis, cloisters, conciliarism, conclave, conference, confessional, confessionary, congregation, consistory, convention, convocation, crypt, diaconicon, diaconicum, diocesan conference, ecclesiastical council, ecumenical council, nave, parochial church council, parochial council, plenary council, porch, presbytery, rood loft, rood stair, rood tower, sacrarium, sacristy, session, synod, transept, triforium
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