Hail Mary

noun

plural Hail Marys

Definition of Hail Mary

1 : a Roman Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary that consists of salutations and a plea for her intercession

2 or less commonly Hail Mary pass : a long forward pass in football thrown into or near the end zone in a last-ditch attempt to score as time runs out —often used figuratively The only potential cure is a stem-cell transplant, when you take somebody else's immune system and put it into yours. But right now that's kind of a Hail Mary pass.— Douglas Cote, quoted in Bicycling

Examples of Hail Mary in a Sentence

He threw up a Hail Mary at the end of the first half.

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More Definitions for Hail Mary

Hail Mary

noun

English Language Learners Definition of Hail Mary

: a Roman Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary

American football : a long forward pass thrown into or close to the end zone as playing time runs out

See the full definition for Hail Mary in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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