rosary

American  

[roh-zuh-ree] / ˈroʊ zə ri /

noun

plural

rosaries

1. Roman Catholic Church.

   1. none the rosary or the Rosary a series of prayers, usually consisting of 15 sets of 10 Ave Marias, each set of 10 being preceded by a Paternoster and followed by a Gloria Patri, and each including a prayer that recalls one of the mysteries or events in the life of Christ or the Virgin Mary.

      All through that crisis, I never stopped praying the rosary and other devotions dear to my heart.

      He learned to say the Rosary as a kid going to Catholic school, and never lost the habit.

   2. a string of beads used for counting these prayers during their recitation.

      As a memento of my visit to the basilica, I bought a lovely sandalwood rosary.

   3. a similar string of beads consisting of five sets of 10.

2. in various non–Roman Catholic faith traditions, a string of beads used in praying, especially to count recited prayers.

   The auspicious number 108 represents the number of beads in a Buddhist rosary.

   One of the beauties of the Anglican rosary is the ability to use it with your own prayers according to your preferences, needs, or the liturgical season.

3. a rose garden or a bed of roses.

   The rosebushes in the rosary are covered with burlap to protect the buds from late spring frost.

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rosary British  

/ ˈrəʊzərɪ /

noun

1. RC Church

   1. a series of prayers counted on a string of beads, usually consisting of five or 15 decades of Aves, each decade beginning with a Paternoster and ending with a Gloria

   2. a string of 55 or 165 beads used to count these prayers as they are recited

2. (in other religions) a similar string of beads used in praying

3. a bed or garden of roses

4. an archaic word for garland

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rosary Cultural  

1. A set of prayers common in the Roman Catholic Church, said during meditation on events in the lives of Jesus and of Mary, the mother of Jesus. A rosary is also the string of beads that the worshiper uses to count the prayers.

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Etymology

Origin of rosary

First recorded in 1350–1400, for an earlier sense; 1400–50 rosary for def. 3; 1540–50 rosary for def. 1; Middle English rosarie, from Medieval Latin rosārium, in all current senses (in Latin: “rose garden”); equivalent to rose ¹ + -ary

Example Sentences

Fimbres taught him how to pray the rosary and Sánchez remains a devout Catholic.

From Los Angeles Times

He liked to go into nature and pray with them the way some people pray with a rosary.

From The Wall Street Journal

Dressed in white and with a rosary hanging from her car's rear-view mirror, she drove through the city but became trapped in traffic.

From Barron's

Under the floorboards of her closet, Smith conceals “glittering refuse I had scavenged from trash bins, fragments of costume jewelry, rosary beads,” along with a blue toothbrush she’s invested with magical powers.

From Los Angeles Times

A viewing, rosary and vigil will be held at St. Luke’s in Temple City on Monday, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times