Is there a difference between a friar and a monk?

[Infin1ty]

In the moive named Van Helsing, Carl(a friar) said: holy hell be damned. Van Helsing said: You cursed, not very well, but you're a monk. You shouldn't cursed at all. And then Carl answered: Actually, I'm still just a friar. I can curse all I want. My question is: What is the main difference between a friar and a monk? according to my on line dictionary software( English - Chinese), a friar is a monk, but apparently it isn't right. Could you please explain it for me? Thanks in advance.
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[Mister Micawber]

The movie is probably inaccurate-- I think the difference is created just for the sake of a joke-- but friars did go out among the lay people more often, so may have picked up some bad habits.
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Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Alan]

Hi Charles,

The question is: What habits were they wearing? Ho. ho.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Cerberus™]

The Oxford English Dictionary says:

Monk:
...
1. a. A member of a community or brotherhood of men living apart from the world under the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, according to a rule (characteristic of the particular order), and devoted chiefly to the performance of religious duties and the contemplative life. The different orders of monks are distinguished by habits of various shapes and colours (cf. b).
In England, before the Reformation, the term was not applied to the members of the mendicant orders, who were always called friars. From the 16th c. to the 19th c., however, it was usual to speak of the friars as a class of monks. In recent times the distinction between the terms has been carefully observed by well-informed writers. In Fr. and Ger. the equivalent of monk is applied equally to ‘monks’ and ‘friars’.
The word properly belongs to Christian use, but is sometimes applied to persons of other religions (e.g. Muslims, Buddhists).
...

Friar:
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2. a. In the Roman Cath. Ch.: A brother or member of one of certain religious orders founded in the 13th c. and afterwards, of which the chief were the four mendicant orders: the Franciscans (†Friars minors, Minorites, or Grey Friars); the Augustines (Austin Friars); the Dominicans (Friars Preachers, Black Friars); and the Carmelites (†Frirs carims = F. frères carmes; White Friars).

b. Sometimes loosely applied to members of the monastic or of the military orders.
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Mendicant:
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A. adj. Begging; given to or characterized by begging. Also, characteristic of a beggar.

b. spec. Applied to those religious orders which lived entirely on alms.
The members of these orders were known as Friars. The most important (often referred to as the ‘Four Orders’) were the Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, and Augustinian Hermits.
...

[Infin1ty]

Thanks alot, Mister Micawber and Alan.

Hi, Steven. I forgot to say thank you for your post. :)
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Please feel free to correct me if you find any mistakes in my posts.