tonsure
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Related to tonsures: Clerical tonsure
ton·sure
(tŏn′shər)n.
1. The act of shaving the head or part of the head, especially as a preliminary to becoming a priest or a member of a monastic order.
2. The part of a monk's or priest's head that has been shaved.
tr.v. ton·sured, ton·sur·ing, ton·sures
To shave the head of.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin tōnsūra, from Latin, a shearing, from tōnsus, past participle of tondēre, to shear; see tem- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
tonsure
(ˈtɒnʃə)n
(Hairdressing & Grooming) (in certain religions and monastic orders)
a. the shaving of the head or the crown of the head only
b. the part of the head left bare by shaving
c. the state of being shaven thus
vb
(Hairdressing & Grooming) (tr) to shave the head of
[C14: from Latin tōnsūra a clipping, from tondēre to shave]
ˈtonsured adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ton•sure
(ˈtɒn ʃər)n., v. -sured, -sur•ing. n.
1. the shaving of the head or of some part of it, esp. upon entering the priestood or a monastic order.
2. the part of a cleric's head, usu. the crown, left bare by shaving the hair.
3. the state of being shorn.
v.t. 4. to subject to tonsure.
[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin tōnsūra a shearing =tōns(us), past participle of tondēre to shear, clip, shave + -ūra -ure]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
tonsure
1. the act or process of cutting the hair, especially as a religious rite or custom.
2. the shaved part of the head, usually the crown, of a member of a religious order. — tonsorial, adj.
See also: Hair2. the shaved part of the head, usually the crown, of a member of a religious order. — tonsorial, adj.
1. the act or process of cutting the hair, especially as a religious rite or custom.
2. the shaved part of the head, usually the crown, of a member of a religious order. — tonsorial, adj.
See also: Monks and Nuns2. the shaved part of the head, usually the crown, of a member of a religious order. — tonsorial, adj.
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
tonsure
Past participle: tonsured
Gerund: tonsuring
Imperative |
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tonsure |
tonsure |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
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Noun | 1. | ![]() |
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Verb | 1. | ![]() shave - remove body hair with a razor |
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