friar, mendicant
(noun) a male member of a religious order that originally relied solely on alms
Source: WordNet® 3.1
friar (plural friars)
A member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites (white friars), Franciscans (grey friars) or the Dominicans (black friars).
(printing, dated) A white or pale patch on a printed page.
An American fish, the silverside.
• (member of religious order): brother, frater or father
• (member of religious order): sister
• (white patch on a printed page): monk
Friar (plural Friars)
A surname.
• According to the 2010 United States Census, Friar is the 15124th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 1950 individuals. Friar is most common among White (74.05%) and Black/African American (20.0%) individuals.
Source: Wiktionary
Fri"ar, n. Etym: [OR. frere, F. frère brother, friar, fr. L. frater brother. See Brother.]
1. (R. C. Ch.)
Definition: 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.
2. (Print.)
Definition: A white or pale patch on a printed page.
3. (Zoöl.)
Definition: An American fish; the silversides. Friar bird (Zoöl.), 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.
РFriar skate (Zo̦l.), the European white or sharpnosed skate (Raia alba); -- called also Burton skate, border ray, scad, and doctor.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
8 May 2025
(noun) the act of protecting something by surrounding it with material that reduces or prevents the transmission of sound or heat or electricity
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
