tonsure
[ ton-sher ]
/ ˈtɒn ʃər /
noun
the act of cutting the hair or shaving the head.
the shaving of the head or of some part of it as a religious practice or rite, especially in preparation for entering the priesthood or a monastic order.
the part of a cleric's head, usually the crown, left bare by shaving the hair.
the state of being shorn.
verb (used with object), ton·sured, ton·sur·ing.
to confer the ecclesiastical tonsure upon.
to subject to tonsure.
Origin of tonsure
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin
tōnsūra a shearing, equivalent to
tōns(us) (past participle of
tondēre to shear, clip, shave) +
-ūra
-ure
OTHER WORDS FROM tonsure
un·ton·sured, adjectiveWords nearby tonsure
tonsillo-,
tonsillolith,
tonsillotomy,
tonsils,
tonsorial,
tonsure,
tontine,
tonus,
tony,
too,
too bad
Example sentences from the Web for tonsure
British Dictionary definitions for tonsure
tonsure
/ (ˈtɒnʃə) /
noun
(in certain religions and monastic orders)
- the shaving of the head or the crown of the head only
- the part of the head left bare by shaving
- the state of being shaven thus
verb
(tr)
to shave the head of
Derived forms of tonsure
tonsured, adjectiveWord Origin for tonsure
C14: from Latin
tōnsūra a clipping, from
tondēre to shave