Hail Mary

[heyl mer-ee, mair-ee]

noun

1. Ave Maria.

2. Also called Hail Mary pass,. Also called Hail Mary play. a long forward pass in football, especially as a last-ditch attempt at the end of a game, where completion is considered unlikely.

Hail Mary

noun

1. Also called: Ave Maria. RC Church a prayer to the Virgin Mary, based on the salutations of the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:28) and Elizabeth (Luke 1:42) to her

2. slang,  American football a very long high pass into the end zone, made in the final seconds of a half or of a game

Word History and Origins

Origin of Hail Mary¹

1300–50; Middle English, translation of Medieval Latin Ave Maria