tonsure

[ ton-sher ]
See synonyms for: tonsuretonsured on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the act of cutting the hair or shaving the head.

  2. 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.

  1. the part of a cleric's head, usually the crown, left bare by shaving the hair.

  2. the state of being shorn.

verb (used with object),ton·sured, ton·sur·ing.
  1. to confer the ecclesiastical tonsure upon.

  2. to subject to tonsure.

Origin of tonsure

1
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, adjective

Words Nearby tonsure

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tonsure in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tonsure

tonsure

/ (ˈtɒnʃə) /


noun
  1. (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
  1. (tr) to shave the head of

Origin of tonsure

1
C14: from Latin tōnsūra a clipping, from tondēre to shave

Derived forms of tonsure

  • tonsured, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012