oratory

¹or·a·to·ry

noun \ˈȯr-ə-ˌtȯr-ē, ˈär-\

plural or·a·to·ries

Definition of ORATORY

1

: a place of prayer; especially : a private or institutional chapel

2

capitalized : an Oratorian congregation, house, or church

Origin of ORATORY

Middle English oratorie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin oratorium, from Latin orare

First Known Use: 14th century

Rhymes with ORATORY

a priori, allegory, amatory, auditory, bedtime story, cacciatore, castratory, category, con amore, cover story, crematory, damnatory, decretory, dilatory, dormitory, excretory, expletory, feudatory, fumitory, Göteborg, gustatory, gyratory, horror story, hortatory, hunky-dory, inventory, laudatory, lavatory, mandatory, migratory, minatory, monitory, Montessori, morning glory, nugatory, offertory, overstory, piscatory, precatory, predatory, prefatory, probatory, promissory, promontory, purgatory, repertory, Ruwenzori, signatory, statutory, sudatory, territory, transitory, understory, vibratory, vomitory, yakitori

²oratory

noun

Definition of ORATORY

1

: the art of speaking in public eloquently or effectively

2

a : public speaking that employs oratory

b : public speaking that is characterized by the use of stock phrases and that appeals chiefly to the emotions

Origin of ORATORY

Latin oratoria, from feminine of oratorius oratorical, from orare

First Known Use: 1594