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Added 8 October 2026

monk

/mʌŋk/ noun

In Latin: monachus, nonnus Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about monk at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A male member of a monastic order who has devoted his life for religious service.
In earlier usage, an eremite or hermit devoted to solitude, as opposed to a cenobite, who lived communally.
Someone who leads an isolated life; a loner, a hermit.

verb

To be a monk.
To act like a monk; especially to be contemplative.
To monkey or meddle; to behave in a manner that is not systematic.

noun

A monkey.

Origin

From Middle English monk, from Old English munuc, from Proto-West Germanic *munik, from Late Latin monicus, variant of monachus, from Ancient Greek μοναχός (monakhós, “single, solitary”), from μόνος (mónos, “alone”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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