Meanings
plural tonsors
- obsoleteSynonym of barber.
“So, tonsor,” says Jones, “I find you have more trades than one; how came you not to inform me of this last night?”
1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC1 more example
He was speedily shown the way to such an emporium of intelligence, and soon found he was likely to hear all he desired to know, and much more, while his head was subjected to the art of a nimble tonsor.
1822, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 27, in The Fortunes of NigelSynonyms: barber
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of barber.
Origin
- Latintōnsor“barber, hairdresser”
- Englishtonsor
From Latin tōnsor (“barber, hairdresser”), from the supine root of tondēre (“to shave, to shear”) + -or (“-or: forming agent nouns”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
tonsor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tonsor
“tonsor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tonsor. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tonsor,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tonsor.
Source: tonsor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.