prie-dieu

American  

[pree-dyoo, pree-dyœ] / ˈpriˈdyʊ, priˈdyœ /

noun

plural

prie-dieus, prie-dieux

1. a piece of furniture for kneeling on during prayer, having a rest above, as for a book.

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prie-dieu British  

/ priːˈdjɜː /

noun

1. a piece of furniture consisting of a low surface for kneeling upon and a narrow front surmounted by a rest for the elbows or for books, for use when praying

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Etymology

Origin of prie-dieu

1750–60; < French: literally, pray God

Example Sentences

The Oratory Church of St. Boniface, in downtown Brooklyn, has a chapel dedicated to Cardinal Newman, with an oil portrait, a prie-dieu, and a gold-leaf etching of his poem “Lead, Kindly Light.”

From The New Yorker

Froment says their new place isn’t so much a house as a giant prie-dieu—the French word for a prayer bench.

From The Wall Street Journal

Brother Louis made for the tower, and when the President opened his door, Lord Roke darted through and made for the prie-dieu in the corner of the room.

From Literature

Though not a particularly observant Episcopalian, I do have moments when prayer is on the agenda and a prie-dieu or a bedside genuflection just won’t do.

From Architectural Digest

It depicted key elements in the life of the French mathematician and philosopher, including a Pascaline calculator and a prie-dieu prayer desk.

From New York Times