matin
- (often initial capital letter) matins. Also especially British, mattins. (usually used with a singular verb) Ecclesiastical.
- the first of the seven canonical hours.
- the service for it, properly beginning at midnight, but sometimes beginning at daybreak.
- Also called Morning Prayer.the service of public prayer, said in the morning, in the Anglican Church.
- Archaic. aubade.
- Also mat·in·al. pertaining to the morning or to matins.
Origin of matin
Examples from the Web for matins
Historical Examples of matins
The bishop did not appear at matins, or at the later church service.
Historical Tales, Vol. 6 (of 15)Charles Morris
He paused at one of them, and read aloud the third lesson of Matins.
En RouteJ.-K. (Joris-Karl) Huysmans
Then the midnight hour struck, and it was time to rise for Matins.
The Dop DoctorClotilde Inez Mary Graves
Perhaps you like this better:—'Yesterday I went to town and heard the matins read.
Peter the PriestMr Jkai
The chimes were ringing to matins and the devout were entering to the early mass.
On the Mexican HighlandsWilliam Seymour Edwards
matins
mattins
- mainly RC Churchthe first of the seven canonical hours of prayer, originally observed at night but now often recited with lauds at daybreak
- the service of morning prayer in the Church of England
- literary a morning song, esp of birds
Word Origin for matins
matin
mattin matinal
- of or relating to matins
Word Origin for matin
Word Origin and History for matins
canonical hour, mid-13c., from Old French matines (12c.), from Late Latin matutinas (nominative matutinæ) "morning prayers," originally matutinas vigilias "morning watches," from Latin matutinus "of or in the morning," associated with Matuta, Roman dawn goddess (see manana). The Old English word was uht-sang, from uhte "daybreak."
matin
see matins.