A wat (derived from the [P li] word vatthu- r ma) is a monastery temple in Cambodia, Thailand, or Laos. The word "wat" (Khmer: , Thai: , sometimes rendered "vat" when referring to Laos) means "school".Strictly speaking a wat is a Buddhist sacred precinct with monks' quarters, the temple proper, an edifice housing a large image of Buddha, and a structure for lessons. A Buddhist site without a minimum of three resident monks cannot correctly be described as a wat, although the term is frequently used more loosely, even for ruins of ancient temples. (As a transitive or intransitive verb, wat means to measure, to take measurements; compare templum, from which temple derives, having the same root as template.)