Kyrie eleison

[ Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church keer-ee-ey e-ley-uh-sawn, -son, -suhn; Greek Orthodox Church kee-ree-e e-le-ee-sawn ]

/ Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church ˈkɪər iˌeɪ ɛˈleɪ əˌsɔn, -ˌsɒn, -sən; Greek Orthodox Church ˈki ri ɛ ɛˈlɛ i sɔn /

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noun

(italics) the brief petition “Lord, have mercy,” used in various offices of the Greek Orthodox Church and of the Roman Catholic Church.

the brief response or petition in services in the Anglican Church, beginning with the words, “Lord, have mercy upon us.”

Also called Kyr·i·e . a musical setting of either of these.

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Origin of Kyrie eleison

1300–50; Middle English kyrieleyson<Medieval Latin, Late Latin Kyrie eleīson<Late Greek Kýrie eléēson Lord, have mercy

Words nearby Kyrie eleison

Kyra, Kyrgyz, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyz Steppe, Kyriale, Kyrie eleison, kyte, kythe, Kythera, kytoon, kyu

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Kyrie eleison in a sentence

Get from Schlemmer what remains of the Kyrie:—show him the postscript and herewith satis.
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume III (of 3)|Alexander Wheelock Thayer
The fire was then kindled, and his voice as it audibly prayed in the words of the “Kyrie Eleison” was soon stifled in the smoke.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 1|Various
I would you could see his face, Kyrie, it is that of Judas Iscariot.
The Bible in Spain|George Borrow
On arranging his musical matters there, he missed the score of the first movement (Kyrie) of his grand Mass.
Life of Beethoven|Anton Schindler

The first, which was the Kyrie Eleison, is in D major, a movement full of fire and deep religious feeling.
Life of Beethoven|Anton Schindler

British Dictionary definitions for Kyrie eleison

Kyrie eleison

/ (ˈkɪrɪɪ əˈleɪsən) /

noun

a formal invocation used in the liturgies of the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Anglican Churches

a musical setting of this

Often shortened to: Kyrie

Word Origin for Kyrie eleison

C14: via Late Latin from Late Greek kurie, eleēson Lord, have mercy

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