Wiktionary
n. a monk of the Eastern Church who is also a priest
Wikipedia
A hieromonk ( Greek: Ἱερομόναχος, Ieromonachos; Slavonic: Ieromonakh, ), also called a priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholicism.
A hieromonk can be either a monk who has been ordained to the priesthood or a priest who has received monastic tonsure. When a married priest's wife dies, it is not uncommon for him to become a monk, since the Church forbids clergy to enter into a second marriage after ordination.
Ordination to the priesthood is the exception rather than the rule for monastics, as a monastery will usually only have as many hieromonks and hierodeacons as it needs to perform the daily services.
In the church hierarchy, a hieromonk is of higher dignity than a hierodeacon, just as a secular (i.e., married) priest is of higher dignity than a deacon. Within their own ranks, hieromonks are assigned order of precedence according to the date of their ordination. Ranking above a hieromonk are a hegumen and an archimandrite.
Usage examples of "hieromonk".
Father Paissy, the silent and learned hieromonk, said firmly and nervously.
Father Iosif and Father Paissy, along with another hieromonk, were invited.
Porfiry and the hieromonk Father Paissy, who all through the day, every hour, had come to inquire about the health of Father Zosima.
There were four of them: the hieromonks Father Iosif and Father Paissy, the hieromonk Father Mikhail, superior of the hermitage, not yet a very old man, far from very learned, of humble origin, but firm in spirit, with inviolable and simple faith, of stern appearance, but pervaded by a deep tenderness of heart, though he obviously concealed his tenderness even to the point of some sort of shame.
As the deceased was a hieromonk of the highest rank, not the Psalter but the Gospel had to be read over him by hieromonks and hierodeacons.
He heard the attendant leave and Father Sisoy, a hieromonk, cough on the other side of the wall.
The hieromonks rose and greeted him with a very deep bow, touching the ground with their fingers, and, having received his blessing, kissed his hand.
But now, seeing all this bowing and kissing of the hieromonks, he instantly changed his mind: gravely and with dignity he made a rather deep bow, by worldly standards, and went over to a chair.
The hieromonks sat at either end of the room, one by the door, the other by the window.
The hieromonks, who incidentally showed no change at all in their physiognomies, were watching with grave attention for what the elder would say, but they seemed as if they were about to stand up, like Miusov.
The hieromonks gathered, and the cell gradually filled with monks from the hermitage.