- (n.) The shaven corona or crown, which priests wear as a mark of their order and of their rank.
- (n.) 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.
- (n.) The act of clipping the hair or of shaving the crown of the head; also, the state of being shorn.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). tonsure. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/tonsure/definitions/2073228 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "tonsure" http://smartdefine.org/tonsure/definitions/2073228 (accessed September 21, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, tonsure, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/tonsure/definitions/2073228>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "tonsure" 28 May 2011. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/tonsure/definitions/2073228> |