Monk

Alternate meanings in Monk (disambiguation)

A monk is a male religious ascetic. The word comes from the Greek monachos (μοναχός), a solitary person. Monks often live in a monastery.

Monks in popular fiction and video games are often represented (or stereotyped) as martial artists. While there have been militant monastic orders at various points in history (Buddhist monks of the Shaolin temple are a well-known example), these are the exception and not the norm...

See also:

• monasticism
• Order (religious)
• Buddhism
• Christianity
• Pachomius -- early example of monastic organizer
• Rule of St Benedict