Friar (Lat. frater, Fr. frere, brother), a term common to monks of all kinds, founded on the supposition that there is a brotherhood between the persons of the same monastery. It is especially applied to members of the four mendicant orders, viz.
1. Franciscans, Minorites, or Gray Friars; 2. Augustines; 3. Dominicans, or Black Friars; 4. Carmelites, or White Friars.
In a more restricted sense, the word means a monk who is not a priest: those in orders are generally denominated father.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More