monk

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈməŋk 

: a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery

also : friar

monk

2 of 2

noun (2)

: monkey

Examples of monk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Apollo 11 – The wonderous time capsule from Todd Douglas Miller, the result of his monk’s work in the NASA archive. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 19 Dec. 2024

Thomas O’Connor legally changed his name to Santa Claus in 2005 and is a monk, child welfare activist and local city council member. —Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 16 Dec. 2024

Even my hotel, Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, a 13th-century monastery turned five-star stunner, boasts its own legends: Its subterranean tunnels, now housing a wine cellar, were rumored to scurry away monks’ lovers. —Tim Chester, AFAR Media, 13 Dec. 2024

In medieval Europe, villagers and monks who congregated in great cold churches chanted their prayers, also responsively, because that was how the words of their faith could waft into the vaults and acquire divine resonance before enveloping the faithful in reverberant song. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English munuc, from Late Latin monachus, from Late Greek monachos, from Greek, adjective, single, from monos single, alone

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1841, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing monk

• monk parakeet
• monk's cloth
• monk seal

Kids Definition

monk

noun

ˈməŋk

: a member of a religious community made up of men who agree to give up worldly life, remain poor and unmarried, and obey all laws of their community

monkish

ˈməŋ-kish

adjective

Biographical Definition

Monk

biographical name

ˈməŋk 

Thelonious Sphere 1920–1982 American jazz musician