Ave Maria
Americannoun
-
(italics) the first two words of the Latin version of a prayer in the Roman Catholic Church, based on the salutation of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary and the words of Elizabeth to her.
-
a recitation of this prayer.
-
the bead or beads on a rosary used to count off each prayer as spoken.
noun
Etymology
Origin of Ave Maria
Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; see origin at ave
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome's southern EUR district, bells played "Ave Maria" for Riccardo as hundreds of people spilled out into the street, far too many to fit inside.
From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 2026
Softly at first then louder, as if to encourage those who joined in timidly, the nuns broke into Ave Maria.
From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2025
Blue Zones certification for the community is “kind of like getting the Good Housekeeping seal of approval,” said Victor Acquista, a retired primary care doctor and Ave Maria resident.
From New York Times ● Jan. 21, 2024
Miles Monchecourt added 12 points and six rebounds for Ave Maria.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 13, 2022
Ave Maria, Stella Maris, Star of the Sea, be gracious to poor sailors in their peril!
From Naples Past and Present by Norway, Arthur H.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
