/mungk/ , n.
1. (in Christianity) a man who has withdrawn from the world for religious reasons, esp. as a member of an order of cenobites living according to a particular rule and under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
2. (in any religion) a man who is a member of a monastic order: a Buddhist monk.
3. Print. a dark area on a printed page caused by uneven inking of the plate or type. Cf. friar (def. 2).
[ bef. 900; ME; OE munuc monachus monachós hermit, n. use of adj.: solitary, equiv. to món ( os ) alone + -achos adj. suffix ]
Syn. 1. brother. MONK, FRIAR refer to members of special male groups whose lives are devoted to the service of the church, esp. 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.