Friar

friar
    n 1: a male member of a religious order that originally relied
         solely on alms [syn: {friar}, {mendicant}]
    

Friar \Fri"ar\, n. [OR. frere, F. fr[`e]re brother, friar, fr.
   L. frater brother. See {Brother}.]
   1. (R. C. Ch.) A brother or member of any religious order,
      but especially of one of the four mendicant orders, viz:
      {(a) Minors, Gray Friars, or Franciscans.} {(b)
      Augustines}. {(c) Dominicans or Black Friars.} {(d) White
      Friars or Carmelites.} See these names in the Vocabulary.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Print.) A white or pale patch on a printed page.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Zool.) An American fish; the silversides.
      [1913 Webster]

   {Friar bird} (Zool.), an Australian bird ({Tropidorhynchus
      corniculatus}), having the head destitute of feathers; --
      called also {coldong}, {leatherhead}, {pimlico}; {poor
      soldier}, and {four-o'clock}. The name is also applied to
      several other species of the same genus.

   {Friar's balsam} (Med.), a stimulating application for wounds
      and ulcers, being an alcoholic solution of benzoin,
      styrax, tolu balsam, and aloes; compound tincture of
      benzoin. --Brande & C.

   {Friar's cap} (Bot.), the monkshood.

   {Friar's cowl} (Bot.), an arumlike plant ({Arisarum vulgare})
      with a spathe or involucral leaf resembling a cowl.

   {Friar's lantern}, the ignis fatuus or Will-o'-the-wisp.
      --Milton.

   {Friar skate} (Zool.), the European white or sharpnosed skate
      ({Raia alba}); -- called also {Burton skate}, {border
      ray}, {scad}, and {doctor}.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Silversides \Sil"ver*sides`\, n. (Zool.)
   Any one of several species of small fishes of the family
   {Atherinidae}, having a silvery stripe along each side of the
   body. The common species of the American coast ({Menidia
   notata}) is very abundant. Called also {silverside}, {sand
   smelt}, {friar}, {tailor}, and {tinker}.
   [1913 Webster]

   {Brook silversides} (Zool.), a small fresh-water North
      American fish ({Labadesthes sicculus}) related to the
      marine silversides.
      [1913 Webster]
    

26 Moby Thesaurus words for "friar":
      abbacomes, abbot, ascetic, beadsman, brother, caloyer, celibate,
      cenobite, conventual, conventual prior, grand prior, hermit,
      hieromonach, lay abbot, lay brother, mendicant, monastic, monk,
      palmer, pilgrim, pillar saint, pillarist, prior, religieux,
      religious, stylite