Rosary Meaning
/ˈɹoʊzəɹi/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounPrayer beads, a string of beads used to keep track of repetitions in prayer, particularly of the Roman Catholic Marian prayer "Hail Mary" (Ave Maria).
nounA Roman Catholic devotion involving the repetition of a series of Marian prayers, usually 5, 15, or 20 decades of "Hail Marys", each decade beginning with "Our Father" and ending with "Glory Be to the Father", but sometimes including other Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Lutheran prayers.
Sentence Examples
The old woman fingered each bead of her rosary with deep devotion.
Sami was fiddling with the beads of his rosary.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The Catholic woman prayed with her ____ every evening before going to sleep.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She held her ____ tightly and prayed quietly in the corner of the chapel.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English rosarie, from Latin rosārium, here in its sense as a garland of roses. The coin usage referred to the laurel wreath appearing on the obverse bust, as opposed to the bare head on the pollard. Doublet of Rosario and rosarium.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Every day propound to yourself a rosary or a chaplet of good works, to present to God at night."
— 1655, “The Golden Grove; or, A Manual of Daily Prayers and Litanies, Fitted to the Days of the Week. […]: Agenda; or, Things to Be Done”, in Reginald Heber, editor, The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D. […], volume XV, London: Ogle, Duncan, and Co. […]; and Richard Priestley, […], published 1822, →OCLC, section I, page 32:
""My rosary!" sighed Elsie, with premonition of disaster, when she had determined the spot as exactly as she could. "Oh, Mr Carrados!"
"I am sorry, but it might be worse," said Carrados inflexibly. "We only require to find the elbow-joint. Mr Bellmark will investigate with as little disturbance as possible."
For five minutes Bellmark made trials with a pointed iron. Then he cleared away the soil of a small circle and at about a foot deep exposed a broken inch pipe."
— 1914, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The Catholic woman prayed with her ____ every evening before going to sleep.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She held her ____ tightly and prayed quietly in the corner of the chapel.