buddhist priest
Preserved but no longer current.
Also seen as: buddhist monk
The Grand Lama or Dalai Lama (the Sacred Lama) was the ruler of Tibet, under the more or less nominal suzerainty of China. In 1910 he fled to India before an invading Chinese army, was deposed, and Tibet has since been in an unsettled state.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “buddhist priest” mean?
The Grand Lama or Dalai Lama (the Sacred Lama) was the ruler of Tibet, under the more or less nominal suzerainty of China. In 1910 he fled to India before an invading Chinese army, was deposed, and Tibet has since been in an unsettled state.
Is “buddhist priest” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.