Dies Irae

American  

[dee-eys eer-ey] / ˈdi eɪs ˈɪər eɪ /

noun

1. a Latin hymn on the Day of Judgment, commonly sung in a Requiem Mass.

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Dies Irae British  

/ ˈdiːeɪz ˈɪəraɪ /

noun

1. Christianity a famous Latin hymn of the 13th century, describing the Last Judgment. It is used in the Mass for the dead

2. a musical setting of this hymn, usually part of a setting of the Requiem

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Etymology

Origin of Dies Irae

literally: day of wrath

Example Sentences

"Where in this dies irae," he asks, "can the liberal find firm ground?"

From Time Magazine Archive

Well, the day came,—the dies irae for one side or the other, and it proved to be for the "one."

From History of Woman Suffrage, Volume III by Stanton, Elizabeth Cady

Thus did I innocently anticipate in my own person that dies irae which I had prepared for my imaginary town.

From Confessions of Boyhood by Albee, John

One thing is certain,—that there is a mustering among the masses, the world over; and there is a dies irae coming on, sooner or later.

From Uncle Tom's Cabin by Stowe, Harriet Beecher

"There is a dies irae coming on, sooner or later," admits St. Clare in the story.

From The American Spirit in Literature : a chronicle of great interpreters by Perry, Bliss