English Explanatory Dictionary

monk

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A male member of a monastic order who has devoted his life for religious service.
  2. In earlier usage, an eremite or hermit devoted to solitude, as opposed to a cenobite, who lived communally.
  3. Someone who leads an isolated life; a loner, a hermit.
  4. An unmarried man who does not have sexual relationships.
  5. A judge.
  6. An inkblot.
  7. A South American monkey (Pithecia monachus); also applied to other species, as Cebus xanthosternos.
  8. The bullfinch, common bullfinch, European bullfinch, or Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula).
  9. The monkfish.
  10. A fuse for firing mines.
verb
  1. To be a monk.
  2. To act like a monk; especially to be contemplative.
  3. To monkey or meddle; to behave in a manner that is not systematic.
  4. To be intoxicated or confused.
  5. To attach so that it sticks out.
noun
  1. A monkey.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/mʌŋk/ En-au-monk.ogg /mɔŋk/

Word forms

monk monks moncke monking monked

Etymology

From Middle English monk, from Old English munuc, from Proto-West Germanic *munik, from Late Latin monicus, variant of monachus, from Ancient Greek μοναχός (monakhós, “single, solitary”), from μόνος (mónos, “alone”).

Related words

monastery monastic monasticism abbey abbot brother cloister convent hermit nun sister

Derived words

have a monk on monk bat Monk Bretton monk chair monkdom monkery monkess monkette monkfruit monk fruit Monk Fryston Monk Hesleden monkish monkism monkless monklet monklike monkly monk parakeet monk parrot monk saki monkscloth monk seal monkshood Monks Horton Monks Risborough monk vulture priest-monk sea monk the cowl does not make the monk
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