/
ˈtɒnsjə,
ˈtɒnʃə/
n.
a part of a monk's or priest's head left bare on top by shaving off the hair.
▸an act of shaving a monk's or priest's head in this way as a preparation for entering a religious order.
v.
[
often as adj. tonsured]
give a tonsure to.
Etymology
ME: from OFr., or from L. tonsura, from tondere ‘shear, clip’.
