prie-dieu

[ pree-dyoo; French pree-dyœ ]

noun,plural prie-dieus, prie-dieux [pree-dyooz; French pree-dyœ], /ˈpriˈdyʊz; French priˈdyœ/,
  1. a piece of furniture for kneeling on during prayer, having a rest above, as for a book.

Origin of prie-dieu

1
1750–60; <French: literally, pray God

Words Nearby prie-dieu

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use prie-dieu in a sentence

  • For she knew that when a Countess of Blanchelande is about to die she always finds a white rose on her prie-dieu.

    Honey-Bee | Anatole France
  • It is there called a "prie-dieu," and is said to have belonged to the Dukes of Savoy, but the size is very unusual for such a use.

  • The young men went out, and the king, left alone, kneeled down on his prie-dieu.

    Chicot the Jester | Alexandre Dumas, Pere
  • Know then that I have found a white rose on the cushion of my prie-dieu.

    Honey-Bee | Anatole France
  • A table with a little prie-dieu stood in the corner, screened by a curtain which ran on a brazen rod.

    Joan of the Sword Hand | S(amuel) R(utherford) Crockett

British Dictionary definitions for prie-dieu

prie-dieu

/ (priːˈdjɜː) /


noun
  1. a piece of furniture consisting of a low surface for kneeling upon and a narrow front surmounted by a rest for the elbows or for books, for use when praying

Origin of prie-dieu

1
C18: from French, from prier to pray + Dieu God

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