Stabat Mater

[stah-baht mah-ter, stey-bat mey-ter]

noun

(italics) a Latin hymn, composed in the 13th century, commemorating the sorrows of the Virgin Mary at the Cross.
a musical setting for this.

Origin of Stabat Mater

literally, the mother was standing, the first words of the hymn

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British Dictionary definitions for stabat mater

Stabat Mater

noun

RC Church a Latin hymn, probably of the 13th century, commemorating the sorrows of the Virgin Mary at the crucifixion and used in the Mass and various other services
a musical setting of this hymn

Word Origin for Stabat Mater

from the opening words, literally: the mother was standing

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

Word Origin and History for stabat mater

Stabat Mater

1867, from Latin Stabat Mater (dolorosa) "Stood the Mother (full of sorrow)," opening words of a sequence composed 13c. by Jacobus de Benedictus.