Fathers of the Desert
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The monks and hermits of the Egyptian deserts in the 4th century from whom all Christian monasticism derives. The most famous were St.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Fathers of the Desert” mean?
The monks and hermits of the Egyptian deserts in the 4th century from whom all Christian monasticism derives. The most famous were St.
Is “Fathers of the Desert” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.