noun
itinerant monk; pilgrim monk
A Buddhist monk who travels on foot, often for ascetic practice or pilgrimage. Domain-specific term used in Buddhist contexts.
その行脚僧は全国の寺を巡っている。
The itinerant monk is traveling around temples across the country.
昔、多くの行脚僧がこの道を通
Long ago, many pilgrim monks passed along this road.
巡礼 refers to a pilgrimage or a pilgrim in general, not necessarily a monk. 行脚僧 specifically denotes a monk on a pilgrimage.
Compound of 行脚 (angya, 'pilgrimage on foot') + 僧 (sō, 'monk'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is conventionally associated with Buddhist monastic travel.