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Noun: tonsure  tón-shur [N. Amer], tón-syu(r) [Brit]
  1. The shaved crown of a monk's or priest's head
    "The monk's tonsure was a visible sign of his religious vows"
     
  2. Shaving the crown of the head by priests or members of a monastic order
    "The monk's tonsure was a visible sign of his devotion to religious life"
Verb: tonsure  tón-shur [N. Amer], tón-syu(r) [Brit]
  1. Shave the head of a newly inducted monk
    "The abbot tonsured the novice during the ceremony"

Derived forms: tonsured, tonsuring, tonsures

Type of: crown, pate, poll, shave, shaving, vertex

Encyclopedia: Tonsure