Thero (
Pali; also appearing in stem-form as
thera, feminine
theri) is an
honorific term for
bhikkhus and
bhikkhunis (Buddhist monks and nuns) in the
Buddhist monastic order.The Pali term means "elder". These terms, which are used at the end of a monastic's
monastic name, are useful to distinguish those who have at least 10 years since their
upasampada (higher ordination). The name of an important collection of very early poetry is called the
Therigatha "verses of the theris".