monk
[ muhngk ]
/ mʌŋk /
noun
(in Christianity) a man who has withdrawn from the world for religious reasons, especially as a member of an order of cenobites living according to a particular rule and under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
(in any religion) a man who is a member of a monastic order: a Buddhist monk.
Printing.
a dark area on a printed page caused by uneven inking of the plate or type.
Compare friar(def 2).
Origin of monk
before 900; Middle English; Old English
munuc < Late Latin
monachus < Greek
monachós hermit, noun use of adj.: solitary, equivalent to
món(os) alone +
-achos adj. suffix
SYNONYMS FOR monk
1
brother.
Monk,
friar refer to members of special male groups whose lives are devoted to the service of the church, especially in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox denominations. A
monk is properly a member of a monastery, under a superior; he is bound by a vow of stability, and is a co-owner of the community property of the monastery. Since the Reformation,
monk and
friar have been used as if they were the same. A
friar is, however, strictly speaking, a member of a mendicant order, whose members are not attached to a monastery and own no community property.
Words nearby monk
Example sentences from the Web for monks
British Dictionary definitions for monks (1 of 2)
monk
/ (mʌŋk) /
noun
a male member of a religious community bound by vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience
Related adjective: monastic
(sometimes capital)
a fancy pigeon having a bald pate and often large feathered feet
Word Origin for monk
Old English
munuc, from Late Latin
monachus, from Late Greek: solitary (man), from Greek
monos alone
British Dictionary definitions for monks (2 of 2)
Monk
/ (mʌŋk) /
noun
Thelonious (Sphere) (θəˈləʊnɪəs). 1920–82, US jazz pianist and composer
a variant spelling of (George) Monck
Cultural definitions for monks
monks
Men under religious vows who live in a community and whose work is usually centered on their community, which is called a monastery. Buddhism and Christianity have notable groups of monks. In Christianity, the monks are members of religious orders.