friar
English · Thesaurus
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friar¹
- /ˈfɹaɪə/ UK
- /ˈfɹaɪɚ/ US
Sounds like frier, fryer · Rhymes with -aɪə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
Inherited from Middle English frere, borrowed from Old French frere, from Latin frāter, from Proto-Italic *frātēr, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr. Doublet of bhai, brother, bru, frater, pal, and vai.
noun friars · frier · fryar
- A member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites (white friars), Franciscans (grey friars) or the Dominicans (black friars).
- A white or pale patch on a printed page caused by poor inking.
- An American fish, the silverside.
- Such fish prepared as food.
Friar²
proper noun Friars
- A surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: mendicant, minorite, monk, brother, bro, sibling, guru, fray, curtal, curates, frère, moine, churchman, clergyman, cleric, augustinian
Translations
Every language
noun member of certain Christian orders
| Español | fraile |
|---|---|
| Português | frade, frei, freire |
| Français | frère |
| Deutsch | Mönch, Ordensbruder |
| Italiano | frate |
| Ελληνικά | μοναχός monachós |
| Русский | мона́х нищенствующего ордена monáx niščenstvujuščevo ordena |
Talk about this word "friar." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/friar. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. friar. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/friar "friar." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/friar.Cite this
@misc{friar_2026,
title = {friar},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/friar},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
