paternoster

noun

pa·​ter·​nos·​ter ˌpä-tər-ˈnä-stər 

ˈpa-tər-ˌnä-stər;

ˈpä-ˌter-ˈnä-stər,

-ˈnä-ˌster 

1

often capitalized : lord's prayer

2

: a word formula repeated as a prayer or magical charm

Examples of paternoster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Like cataloguers of beleaguered animal species, paternoster preservationists have produced maps of the approximately 300 active paternoster lifts in operation around the world. —Anne Quito, Quartz at Work, 18 June 2020

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English, from Medieval Latin, from Latin pater noster our father, from the opening words

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1