Adjacent Words

Hail Mary definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a salutation to the Virgin Mary now used in prayers to her [syn: Ave Maria, Hail Mary]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: translation of Medieval Latin Ave, Maria, from the opening words Date: 15th century 1. a Roman Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary that consists of salutations and a plea for her intercession 2. a long forward pass in football thrown into or near the end zone in a last-ditch attempt to score as time runs out

Britannica Concise

Principal Roman Catholic prayer addressed to the Virgin Mary. It begins with the greetings spoken to Mary by the Archangel Gabriel and by her cousin Elizabeth in the Gospel of Luke: "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." A closing petition, "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death," came into general use by the end of the 14th cent. Churchgoers who attend confession are often asked to repeat the prayer as penance for sins.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hail Hail, interj. [See Hail, v. t.] An exclamation of respectful or reverent salutation, or, occasionally, of familiar greeting. ``Hail, brave friend.'' --Shak. All hail. See in the Vocabulary. Hail Mary, a form of prayer made use of in the Roman Catholic Church in invocation of the Virgin. See Ave Maria.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(Hail Marys) A Hail Mary is a prayer to the Virgin Mary that is said by Roman Catholics. N-COUNT

Moby Thesaurus

Angelus, Ave, Ave Maria, Kyrie Eleison, Paternoster, aid prayer, appeal, beadroll, beads, beseechment, bidding prayer, breviary, chaplet, collect, communion, contemplation, devotions, entreaty, grace, impetration, imploration, intercession, invocation, litany, meditation, obsecration, obtestation, orison, petition, prayer, prayer wheel, rogation, rosary, silent prayer, suit, supplication, thanks, thanksgiving