Ave Maria

[ah-vey muh-ree-uh]

noun

(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.

Origin of Ave Maria

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; see origin at ave

Also called Hail Mary.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for ave maria

ave

Examples from the Web for ave maria

Historical Examples of ave maria

But as he spoke the bells of the villages around toned forth the Ave-Maria.
Household stories from the Land of Hofer
R. H. Busk
The village bells sound the Ave-Maria, but the sacred notes arrest her not—the evening prayer is forgotten in the thirst for gold.
Household stories from the Land of Hofer
R. H. Busk
His body is interred at the Cordeliers, and his heart deposited at the Ave-Maria.
Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 1 (of 3)
Isaac D'Israeli

British Dictionary definitions for ave maria

Ave Maria

noun

another name for Hail Mary

Word Origin for Ave Maria

C14: from Medieval Latin: hail, Mary!

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

Word Origin and History for ave maria

Ave Maria

modified form of the angelic salutation to the Virgin (Luke i:28) used as a devotional recitation, early 13c., from the opening words ("Ave [Maria] gratia plena").