tonsorial

adjective

ton·​so·​ri·​al tän-ˈsȯr-ē-əl 

: of or relating to a barber or the work of a barber

Did you know?

Tonsorial is a fancy word that describes the work of those who give shaves and haircuts. (It can apply more broadly to hairdressers as well.) It derives from the Latin verb tondēre, meaning "to shear, clip, or crop." (Another descendant, tonsor, is an archaic word for a barber.) You might be more familiar with the related noun tonsure, which refers to the shaven crown or patch worn by monks and other clerics, or the religious rite of clipping the hair of one being admitted as a cleric. The verb tonsure means "to shave the head of" or "to confer the tonsure upon."

Examples of tonsorial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

No tonsorial slouch himself is their overlord, Count Pierre d’Alençon, a saucy libertine (hilariously played by a peroxide-blond Affleck) who makes no secret of his preference for Le Gris over Carrouges. —Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2021

Meanwhile, Thomas comically goes from honey to vinegar on a dime — while providing a tonsorial fashion parade, thanks to Justin Lore’s towering wigs. —Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, 12 June 2021

Pelosi is not the first politician to have a sacrosanct tonsorial engagement. —Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 3 Sep. 2020

The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Vengeful, bloodletting rage churns magnificently through Stephen Sondheim’s score for this story of murder by tonsorial means in Victorian England. —Ben Brantley, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2020

Yet a stroll down its high street reveals a tonsorial revolution deep in the heart of Britain. —The Economist, 18 Jan. 2020

In a school full of mean kids, her tonsorial nightmare makes her an easy target. —Sheri Linden, latimes.com, 15 Dec. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Latin tonsorius, from tondēre

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined above

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