Tonsure

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈtÉ’n.ʃə(ɹ)/

Origin

From Latin tonsūra ("a clipping, trimming"), from tondeō ("shear, clip, trim").

Full definition of tonsure

Verb

1. (Christianity) To subject to the often ritual shaving of the crown of the head as a sign of humility and one's religious vocation. Some tonsures were more dramatic than others, leaving only a fringe of hair. Abolished by Vatican II in the Roman Catholic Church.

Noun

1. The bald patch resulting from being tonsured.