Ave Maria

[ah-vey muh-ree-uh]

noun

1. (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.

2. a recitation of this prayer.

3. the bead or beads on a rosary used to count off each prayer as spoken.

Ave Maria

/ məˈriːə /

noun

1. another name for Hail Mary

Word History and Origins

Origin of Ave Maria¹

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; ave

Word History and Origins

Origin of Ave Maria¹

C14: from Medieval Latin: hail, Mary!

Example Sentences

When he began reciting Ave Maria, a deep hum rose as the square followed suit, with some praying in their own languages.

Read more on BBC

Softly at first then louder, as if to encourage those who joined in timidly, the nuns broke into Ave Maria.

Read more on BBC

Not just because a desire to please Fred forces Sam to sing “Ave Maria” and Joel to deliver an impossibly touching speech, but also because Fred deserves to be the happiest man in the world.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The champion mirrored Agent 47 in the Hitman video gaming series, making his entrance to Franz Schubert's Ave Maria - a song used in the game.

Read more on BBC

“He just decided, you know what, I’m gonna stop taking questions and then he’s swaying to "Ave Maria" and "YMCA" for about half an hour,” Obama said.

Read more on Salon