n.
Pronunciation: ' tän(t)-sh ə r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin tonsura, from Latin, act of shearing, from tonsus, past participle of tond ē re to shear ― more at TOME
Date: 14th century
1 : the Roman Catholic or Eastern rite of admission to the clerical state by the clipping or shaving of a portion of the head
2 : the shaven crown or patch worn by monks and other clerics
3 : a bald spot resembling a tonsure