The act of clipping the hair, or of shaving the crown of the head; also, the state of being shorn.
The first ceremony used for devoting a person to the service of God and the church; the first degree of the clericate, given by a bishop, abbot, or cardinal priest, consisting in cutting off the hair from a circular space at the back of the head, with prayers and benedictions; hence, entrance or admission into minor orders.
The shaven corona, or crown, which priests wear as a mark of their order and of their rank.
The rite of shaving the crown of the head of the person joining a monastic order or the secular clergy. It symbolizes admission to the clerical state. (MEDIEV-L. Medieval Terms) A clipping of hair or shaving the top of the head; tonsure was the ceremony that dedicated a person to God's service; it was the first step of entry into the clergy. (Lynch, Joseph H. The Medieval Church: A Brief History, 365) Related terms: First Tonsure
shaved hair-style, leaving a circle of hair (like a crown of thorns).
the shaping of evergreens by clipping.
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
shave the head of a newly inducted monk
the bleedin' shavin' of the head of them enterin' certain priesffoods or monastic orders; also, right, the part of the bloody head left bare after such a shavin'.
the rite whereby a novice is clothed in the monastic habit and becomes a monk or nun.
the shaving of the head of those entering certain priesthoods or monastic orders; also, the part of the head left bare after such a shaving.
the shaven crown or patch worn by monks and other clerics Source
Tonsure is the practice of some Christian churches, and some Hindu temples of cutting the hair from the scalp of clerics as a symbol of their renunciation of worldly fashion and esteem.