tonsure

The act of shaving the head or part of the head, especially as a preliminary to becoming a priest or a member of a monastic order.

The part of a monk’s or priest’s head that has been shaved.

To shave the head of.

To shave or clip the hair of the head of; specifically, to give the tonsure to.

The act of clipping the hair, or of shaving the head, or the state of being shorn.

Specifically— In the Roman Catholic and Greek churches, the ceremony of shaving or cutting off the hair of the head, either wholly or partially, performed upon a candidate as a preparatory step to his entering the priesthood or embracing a monastic life; hence, entrance or admittance into the clerical state or a monastic order.

The bare place on the head of a priest or monk, formed by shaving or cutting the hair.

The act of clipping the hair, or of shaving the crown of the head; also, the state of being shorn.

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.