Saint Teresa of Avila

1 8.6

A Spanish nun who reformed her religious order and wrote about prayer

proper noun

: Santa Teresa de Ávila

During her lifetime, Saint Teresa of Avila reformed the Carmelite order and wrote influential spiritual classics.

Examples

The writings of Saint Teresa of Avila continue to inspire many spiritual seekers today.
Saint Teresa of Avila is widely regarded as one of the great Christian mystics.
Many people admire Saint Teresa of Avila for her spiritual writings.
Did Saint Teresa of Avila really experience visions?
Saint Teresa of Avila is widely regarded as one of the great Christian mystics.
During her lifetime, Saint Teresa of Avila reformed the Carmelite order and wrote influential spiritual classics.
The writings of Saint Teresa of Avila continue to inspire many spiritual seekers today.

Synonyms

Teresa of Avila

vsSaint Teresa of Avila

1 8.4

A Spanish nun and writer known for changing the Catholic Church and now a Catholic saint

includes her specific role as a Carmelite nun

Surface Forms

Saint Teresa of Avila main

Morphology

saint + Teresa + of + Avila

This is a proper name built from the noun 'saint' plus a personal name and a place, so a B1 learner who knows the words can transparently infer the basic sense: a saint called Teresa associated with Avila. However, the full encyclopedic meaning in the provided definition (Spanish mystic, Carmelite nun, reformer, author, dates, etc.) is not derivable from the constituents alone. Because the core identity (a saint from Avila) is predictable but the detailed historical/biographical content is not, the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Saint Teresa of Avila was a Spanish nun in the 1500s who wrote about deep prayer and the spiritual life. She also changed her group of nuns to live more simply, so today her name stands for a famous Christian spiritual leader and 'saint'.