Adjacent Words

Friar definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FRI'AR, n. [L. frater. See Brother.]
1. An appellation common to the monks of all orders; those who enter religious orders considering themselves as a fraternity or brotherhood. Friars are generally distinguished into four principal branches, viz: 1. Minors, gray friars or Franciscans; 2. Augustines; 3. Dominicans or black friars; 4. White Friars or Carmelites.
2. In a restricted sense, a monk who is not a priest; those friars who are in orders being called fathers.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a male member of a religious order that originally relied solely on alms [syn: friar, mendicant]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English frere, fryer, from Anglo-French frere, friere, fraire literally, brother, from Latin fratr-, frater — more at brother Date: 13th century a member of a mendicant order

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. a member of any of certain religious orders of men, esp. the four mendicant orders (Augustinians, Carmelites, Dominicans, and Franciscans). Phrases and idioms: friar's (or friars') balsam a tincture of benzoin etc. used esp. as an inhalant. Derivatives: friarly adj. Etymology: ME & OF frere f. L frater fratris brother

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Silversides Sil"ver*sides`, n. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of small fishes of the family Atherinid[ae], having a silvery stripe along each side of the body. The common species of the American coast (Menidia notata) is very abundant. Called also silverside, sand smelt, friar, tailor, and tinker. Brook silversides (Zo["o]l.), a small fresh-water North American fish (Labadesthes sicculus) related to the marine silversides.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Friar Fri"ar, n. [OR. frere, F. fr[`e]re brother, friar, fr. L. frater brother. See Brother.] 1. (R. C. Ch.) A brother or member of any religious order, but especially of one of the four mendicant orders, viz: (a) Minors, Gray Friars, or Franciscans. (b) Augustines. (c) Dominicans or Black Friars. (d) White Friars or Carmelites. See these names in the Vocabulary. 2. (Print.) A white or pale patch on a printed page. 3. (Zo["o]l.) An American fish; the silversides. Friar bird (Zo["o]l.), an Australian bird (Tropidorhynchus corniculatus), having the head destitute of feathers; -- called also coldong, leatherhead, pimlico; poor soldier, and four-o'clock. The name is also applied to several other species of the same genus. Friar's balsam (Med.), a stimulating application for wounds and ulcers, being an alcoholic solution of benzoin, styrax, tolu balsam, and aloes; compound tincture of benzoin. --Brande & C. Friar's cap (Bot.), the monkshood. Friar's cowl (Bot.), an arumlike plant (Arisarum vulgare) with a spathe or involucral leaf resembling a cowl. Friar's lantern, the ignis fatuus or Will-o'-the-wisp. --Milton. Friar skate (Zo["o]l.), the European white or sharpnosed skate (Raia alba); -- called also Burton skate, border ray, scad, and doctor.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(friars) A friar is a member of one of several Catholic religious orders. N-COUNT

Moby Thesaurus

abbacomes, abbot, ascetic, beadsman, brother, caloyer, celibate, cenobite, conventual, conventual prior, grand prior, hermit, hieromonach, lay abbot, lay brother, mendicant, monastic, monk, palmer, pilgrim, pillar saint, pillarist, prior, religieux, religious, stylite