tonsorial
adjective
Did you know?
Tonsorial is a fancy word that describes the work of those who give shaves and haircuts. (It can apply more broadly to hairdressers as well.) It derives from the Latin verb tondēre, meaning "to shear, clip, or crop." (Another descendant, tonsor, is an archaic word for a barber.) You might be more familiar with the related noun tonsure, which refers to the shaven crown or patch worn by monks and other clerics, or the religious rite of clipping the hair of one being admitted as a cleric. The verb tonsure means "to shave the head of" or "to confer the tonsure upon."
Examples of tonsorial in a Sentence
Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2021
Meanwhile, Thomas comically goes from honey to vinegar on a dime — while providing a tonsorial fashion parade, thanks to Justin Lore’s towering wigs.
—Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, 12 June 2021
Pelosi is not the first politician to have a sacrosanct tonsorial engagement.
—Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 3 Sep. 2020
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Vengeful, bloodletting rage churns magnificently through Stephen Sondheim’s score for this story of murder by tonsorial means in Victorian England.
—Ben Brantley, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2020
Yet a stroll down its high street reveals a tonsorial revolution deep in the heart of Britain.
—The Economist, 18 Jan. 2020
In a school full of mean kids, her tonsorial nightmare makes her an easy target.
—Sheri Linden, latimes.com, 15 Dec. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Tonsorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tonsorial. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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