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Added 10 October 2026

tonsure

/ˈtɒn.ʃə(ɹ)/ noun

Latin root: tonsūra Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about tonsure at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

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.

verb

Shave the head of a newly inducted monk.

Origin

From Middle English tonsure, from Anglo-Norman and Old French tonsure, from Latin tonsūra (“a clipping, trimming”), from tondeō (“shear, clip, trim”).

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

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