vesper

[ ves-per ]
/ ˈvɛs pər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR vesper ON THESAURUS.COM

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.
  1. a religious service in the late afternoon or the evening.
  2. the sixth of the seven canonical hours, or the service for it, occurring in the late afternoon or the evening.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

vesiculotubular, vesiculotympanic, vesiculotympanitic resonance, vesiculous, Vespasian, vesper, vesperal, vesper mouse, vespers, vesper sparrow, vespertide
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to vesper

duskiness, decline, dusk, even, eve, gloaming, dark, eventide, sundown, close, nightfall, sunset, twilight, black, dim

Example sentences from the Web for vesper

British Dictionary definitions for vesper (1 of 2)

vesper
/ (ˈvɛspə) /

noun

an evening prayer, service, or hymn
an archaic word for evening
(modifier) of or relating to vespers
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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012