Added 9 October 2026
friar
/ˈfɹaɪə/ noun
In Latin: frater Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about friar at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites (white friars), Franciscans (grey friars) or the Dominicans (black friars).
- A white or pale patch on a printed page caused by poor inking.
- An American fish, the silverside. Such fish prepared as food.
Origin
Inherited from Middle English frere, borrowed from Old French frere, from Latin frāter, from Proto-Italic *frātēr, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr. Doublet of bhai, brother, bru, frater, pal, and vai.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)