tonsure

/tˈɒnʒɐ/

/tˈɑːnʒɚ/

Tonsure

the act of shaving all or part of the hair on the scalp, often for religious or cultural reasons

the shaved crown of a monk's or priest's head

to tonsure

MAIN VERB

shave the head of a newly inducted monk

Examples

1. This haircut, with the center shave, is called a tonsure.

2. In the Roman Catholic Church, clerical tonsure ended in 1972.

3. These differences over tonsure were outward signs of a split in the Church.

4. Their holy wells became Christian holy wells, their tonsure became the Christian tonsure, and so on.