monk

¹

[ muhngk ]

noun

1. (in Christianity) a man who has withdrawn from the world for religious reasons, especially as a member of an order of cenobites living according to a particular rule and under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

   Synonyms: brother

2. (in any religion) a man who is a member of a monastic order:

   a Buddhist monk.

3. Printing. a dark area on a printed page caused by uneven inking of the plate or type. Compare friar ( def 2 ).

Monk

²

[ muhngk ]

noun

1. (James) Arthur Art, born 1957, U.S. football player.
2. The·lo·ni·ous [th, uh, -, loh, -nee-, uh, s] (Sphere), 1917–1982, U.S. jazz pianist and composer.
3. George. Monck, George.

Monk

¹

/ mʌŋk /

noun

1. MonkThelonious (Sphere)19201982MUSMUSIC: jazz pianistMUSIC: composer Thelonious ( Sphere ) (θəˈləʊnɪəs). 1920–82, US jazz pianist and composer
2. a variant spelling of (George) Monck

monk

²

/ mʌŋk /

noun

1. a male member of a religious community bound by vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience monastic
2. sometimes capital a fancy pigeon having a bald pate and often large feathered feet

Word History and Origins

Origin of monk¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English munuc, from Late Latin monachus, from Greek monachós “hermit,” noun use of adjective: “solitary,” equivalent to món(os) “alone” + -achos adjective suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of monk¹

Old English munuc, from Late Latin monachus, from Late Greek: solitary (man), from Greek monos alone

Synonym Study

Monk, friar refer to members of special male groups whose lives are devoted to the service of the church, especially in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox denominations. A monk is properly a member of a monastery, under a superior; he is bound by a vow of stability, and is a co-owner of the community property of the monastery. Since the Reformation, monk and friar have been used as if they were the same. A friar is, however, strictly speaking, a member of a mendicant order, whose members are not attached to a monastery and own no community property.

Example Sentences

Mr Tjitendero had been walking to a bus stop along Monks Park Avenue when the car mounted the pavement and hit him, forcing him onto the windscreen and pinning him against a wall.

From BBC

By 2013, he had appeared in roughly 300 episodes of television shows including “Boston Public,” “The X-Files,” “CSI,” “ER,” “7th Heaven,” “Star Trek,” “Monk,” “Tour of Duty” and “Murder, She Wrote.”

From New York Times

By 2013, he had appeared in roughly 300 episodes for television shows including “Boston Public,” “The X-Files,” “CSI,” “ER,” “7th Heaven,” “Star Trek,” “Monk,” “Tour of Duty” and “Murder, She Wrote.”

From New York Times

And if this is indeed “Mr. Monk’s Last Case,” I’d give Tony Shalhoub, who has won three Emmys for playing the detective tormented by obsessive-compulsive disorder, a chance to prevail.

From Los Angeles Times

Can Mr. Monk solve the mystery of what killed the television movie?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abbot
• friar
• priest