friar

[ frahy-er ]
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noun
  1. Roman Catholic Church. a member of a religious order, especially the mendicant orders of Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, and Augustinians.

  2. Printing. a blank or light area on a printed page caused by uneven inking of the plate or type.: Compare monk (def. 3).

Origin of friar

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English frier, frere “brother,” from Old French frere, from Latin frāter;see brother

synonym study For friar

1. See monk.

Words that may be confused with friar

Words Nearby friar

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use friar in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for friar

friar

/ (ˈfraɪə) /


noun
  1. a member of any of various chiefly mendicant religious orders of the Roman Catholic Church, the main orders being Black Friars (Dominicans), Grey Friars (Franciscans), White Friars (Carmelites), and Austin Friars (Augustinians): See also Black Friar, Grey Friar, White Friar, Augustinian

Origin of friar

1
C13 frere, from Old French: brother, from Latin frāter brother

Derived forms of friar

  • friarly, adjective

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