bhikshuni
noun
bhik·shuni
ˈbik-ˌshə-nē
plural bhikshunis
: a woman belonging to a Hindu or Buddhist monastic order : a Hindu or Buddhist nun
Other precepts, such as the one requiring bhikshunis to receive instructions from a bhikshu twice a month (but not vice versa), clearly reflect gender inequalities in Indian society at that time.—Bhikshuni Karma Lekshe Tsomo, Blossoms of the Dharma: Living as a Buddhist Nun, 1999
The number of vows varies among different Buddhist lineages, and within each lineage, the bhikshus and bhikshunis have different numbers of vows.—Thubten Chodron, Taming The Mind, 2004
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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