Pietà

[ pee-ey-tah, pyey-tah, pee-ey-tuh, pyey- ]

noun(sometimes lowercase)Fine Arts.
  1. a representation of the Virgin Mary mourning over the body of the dead Christ, usually shown held on her lap.

Origin of Pietà

1
1635–45; <Italian: literally, pity <Latin pietāspiety; cf. pity

Words Nearby Pietà

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How to use Pietà in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pietà

pietà

/ (pɪɛˈtɑː) /


noun
  1. a sculpture, painting, or drawing of the dead Christ, supported by the Virgin Mary

Origin of pietà

1
Italian: pity, from Latin pietās piety

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Pietà

Pietà

[ (pyay-tah; pee-ay-tah) ]


A painting, drawing, or sculpture of Mary, the mother of Jesus, holding the dead body of Jesus. The word means “pity” in Italian.

Notes for Pietà

The most famous of four Pietàs by Michelangelo is a sculpture at Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.