plural rosaries
1
often capitalized
: a Roman Catholic devotion consisting of meditation on usually five sacred mysteries during recitation of five decades of Hail Marys of which each begins with an Our Father and ends with a Gloria Patri
2
: a string of beads used in counting prayers especially of the Roman Catholic rosary
Examples of rosary in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dodgers fans turn to lucky jerseys, sweaters, rosaries and prayer to help team win the title.
—
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
Hardy herbs like sage, rosary, cilantro and thyme can survive Denver winters and thrive in containers indoors, according to local gardening pros.
—Brianna Crane, Axios, 28 Sep. 2024
Non-Muslim signs of religious devotion, from rosaries to Bibles, are banned.
—Victor Gaetan, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2017
Each year, the church hangs a large rosary from the trunk of a pine tree in hopes of protection from weather and for a great pierogi festival weekend.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 8 Aug. 2024
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Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
Hardy herbs like sage, rosary, cilantro and thyme can survive Denver winters and thrive in containers indoors, according to local gardening pros.
—Brianna Crane, Axios, 28 Sep. 2024
Non-Muslim signs of religious devotion, from rosaries to Bibles, are banned.
—Victor Gaetan, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2017
Each year, the church hangs a large rosary from the trunk of a pine tree in hopes of protection from weather and for a great pierogi festival weekend.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rosary
Dictionary Entries Near rosary
Cite this Entry
“Rosary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rosary. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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rosary
noun
ro·sa·ry
ˈrōz-(ə-)rē 
plural rosaries
1
often capitalized
: a Roman Catholic devotion consisting of meditation on usually five sacred mysteries during recitation of five decades of Hail Marys of which each begins with an Our Father and ends with a Gloria Patri
2
: a string of beads used in counting prayers especially of the Roman Catholic rosary
Etymology
from Latin rosarium "rosary prayers, rosary beads," from earlier rosarium "rose garden," derived from rosa "rose"
Word Origin
Rosary is ultimately borrowed from Latin rosarium, a derivative of rosa, "rose." In classical Latin rosarium referred to a bed or garden of roses. In the Middle Ages rose gardens became particularly associated with Mary, and artists would give a rose-garden setting to the Annunciation, the announcement made to Mary by an angel that she would be the Messiah's mother. Rosarium could also refer to a rose garland or wreath for the head that Mary made or wore in various legends. When sequences of prayers to the Virgin became a popular devotion in the 1400s, it is not surprising that Latin rosarium was applied to them. Later the word was also applied to the strings of beads used in reciting the rosary prayers.
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