tonsure

2 entries found for tonsure.
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tonsure[1,noun] tonsure[2,transitive verb]

Main Entry: ¹ton·sure
Pronunciation: 'tän(t)-sh&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin tonsura, from Latin, act of shearing, from tonsus, past participle of tondEre to shear -- more at TOME
1 : the Roman Catholic or Eastern rite of admission to the clerical state by the clipping or shaving of a portion of the head
2 : the shaven crown or patch worn by monks and other clerics
3 : a bald spot resembling a tonsure