(italics) an ancient Latin hymn of praise to God, in the form of a psalm, sung regularly at matins in the Roman Catholic Church and, usually, in an English translation, at Morning Prayer in the Anglican Church, as well as on special occasions as a service of thanksgiving.
a musical setting of this hymn.
a service of thanksgiving in which this hymn forms a prominent part.
an ancient Latin hymn in rhythmic prose, sung or recited at matins in the Roman Catholic Church and in English translation at morning prayer in the Church of England and used by both Churches as an expression of thanksgiving on special occasions
a musical setting of this hymn
a service of thanksgiving in which the recital of this hymn forms a central part
< Late Latin, first two words of the hymn, which begins: Tē Deum laudāmus we praise thee God
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The choir sang William Walton's setting of Te Deum Laudamus, composed for the Coronation, as the Queen's procession left the abbey.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2013
Bruckner said that when it was time to meet his maker, he would “show him the score of my Te Deum, and he may judge me accordingly.”
From New York Times ● Feb. 5, 2012
The pope continues his Christmas and New Year's celebrations on Dec 31 with a year-end Mass of thanksgiving known by its Latin name Te Deum.
From Reuters ● Dec. 25, 2011
The other three are a setting of the Te Deum hymn of praise running to more than an hour.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 13, 2011
Blanca assumed that it would occur to no one to think that Pedro Tercero Garcia was in Senator Trueba’s house at the very moment when the senator was attending the Te Deum in the cathedral.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
The contemporary composer Arvo Pärt’s “Te Deum” is the other extreme, a mystical rendering of a Christian hymn accompanied by samples of a wind harp’s low drone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2022
Lully stabbed himself in the toe with his own invention while conducting the “Te Deum” and consequently died of gangrene: “High-handedness is what / The mass holds dear, but poets love / Your sacrificial foot.”
From New York Times ● Jun. 24, 2020
A “Te Deum” and one of the Coronation Anthems, “The King shall rejoice,” are festive and brilliant, but Caroline’s funeral anthem, “The ways of Zion do mourn,” is exquisite, somber, burning with sadness.
From New York Times ● Mar. 19, 2015
Their chilly relations became crystal clear after the Kirchners several years ago stopped attending the church’s annual “Te Deum” address challenging society to do better, which is delivered each May 25.
From Salon ● Mar. 18, 2013
After the “Te Deum” had been sung, the celebrant, accompanied by his attendants, censed the crèche, to the sound of violins, double-basses, and other instruments.
From Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan by Miles, Clement A.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
