tonsure (Meaning)

Wordnet

tonsure (n)

the shaved crown of a monk's or priest's head

shaving the crown of the head by priests or members of a monastic order

Wordnet

tonsure (v)

shave the head of a newly inducted monk

Webster

tonsure (n.)

The act of clipping the hair, or of shaving the crown of the head; also, the state of being shorn.

The first ceremony used for devoting a person to the service of God and the church; the first degree of the clericate, given by a bishop, abbot, or cardinal priest, consisting in cutting off the hair from a circular space at the back of the head, with prayers and benedictions; hence, entrance or admission into minor orders.

The shaven corona, or crown, which priests wear as a mark of their order and of their rank.

Synonyms & Antonyms of tonsure

No Synonyms and anytonyms found

tonsure Sentence Examples

  1. The monks' tonsures, shaved crowns surrounded by a ring of hair, symbolized their renunciation of worldly desires.
  2. The archbishop performed the tonsure ceremony with a pair of silver shears, cutting a small circle of hair from the candidate's head.
  3. After receiving the tonsure, the novice was officially considered a member of the monastic community.
  4. In some religious orders, the tonsure was conferred only after a period of probation and contemplation.
  5. The precise form of the tonsure varied among different monastic traditions, but it generally denoted a life of dedication to God.
  6. The tonsure was often accompanied by other rituals, such as the taking of vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
  7. In medieval Europe, the tonsure was also used to identify clerics, who were exempt from certain taxes and legal obligations.
  8. Laymen and women who wished to express their devotion could also receive a partial tonsure, shaving a small patch of hair from their heads.
  9. The practice of tonsure gradually declined in popularity during the Enlightenment and has become relatively rare in modern times.
  10. However, tonsure remains an important symbol of monastic life in some religious communities to this day.

FAQs About the word tonsure

the shaved crown of a monk's or priest's head, shaving the crown of the head by priests or members of a monastic order, shave the head of a newly inducted monkT

No synonyms found.

No antonyms found.

The monks' tonsures, shaved crowns surrounded by a ring of hair, symbolized their renunciation of worldly desires.

The archbishop performed the tonsure ceremony with a pair of silver shears, cutting a small circle of hair from the candidate's head.

After receiving the tonsure, the novice was officially considered a member of the monastic community.

In some religious orders, the tonsure was conferred only after a period of probation and contemplation.