vesper
[ ves-per ]
/ ˈvɛs pər /
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.
Nearby words
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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples 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
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012