tonsure
noun
- hairstyle related to religious devotion
verb
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L333286 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈtɒn.ʃə(ɹ)/ / /ˈtɑn.ʃɚ/
noun
Etymology: From Middle English tonsure, from Anglo-Norman and Old French tonsure, from Latin tonsūra (“a clipping, trimming”), from tondeō (“shear, clip, trim”).
- A ritual shaving of this kind.
- The hairstyle and characteristic bald patch resulting from being tonsured.
verb
Etymology: From Middle English tonsure, from Anglo-Norman and Old French tonsure, from Latin tonsūra (“a clipping, trimming”), from tondeō (“shear, clip, trim”).
- To shave the crown of the head of (a person) as a sign of humility and religious vocation.