vesper
[ ves-per ]
/ ˈvɛs pər /
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noun
(initial capital letter) the evening star, especially Venus; Hesperus.
Also called vesper bell . a bell rung at evening.
vespers, (sometimes initial capital letter)Ecclesiastical.
- a religious service in the late afternoon or the evening.
- the sixth of the seven canonical hours, or the service for it, occurring in the late afternoon or the evening.
- Roman Catholic Church. a part of the office to be said in the evening by those in major orders, frequently made a public ceremony in the afternoons or evenings of Sundays and holy days.
- Anglican Church. evensong (def. 1).
Archaic. evening.
adjective
of, pertaining to, appearing in, or proper to the evening.
of or relating to vespers.
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Origin of vesper
1350–1400; Middle English, partly <Latin: evening, evening star; partly <Old French vespres evening service <Medieval Latin vesperās, accusative plural of Latin vespera, feminine variant of vesper; cognate with Greek hésperos; akin to west
Words nearby vesper
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for vesper
British Dictionary definitions for vesper (1 of 2)
vesper
/ (ˈvɛspə) /
noun
See also vespers
Word Origin for vesper
C14: from Latin: evening, the evening star; compare Greek hesperos evening; see west
British Dictionary definitions for vesper (2 of 2)
Vesper
/ (ˈvɛspə) /
noun
the planet Venus, when appearing as the evening star
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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