rosary

play

noun ro·sa·ry \ ˈrō-zə-rē , ˈrōz-rē \

Definition of rosary

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

See rosary defined for English-language learners

See rosary defined for kids

Recent Examples of rosary from the Web

An array of items found in the average soldier's kit bag are on view: canteens, mess kits, sewing kits, pipes and lighters, binoculars, a gas mask, daggers, and — this being the Knights of Columbus Museum — pocket shrines and rosaries.

— susan dunne, courant.com, "Replica Of WWI Trench Commemorates Great War Centennial," 11 Aug. 2017
But the luggage also included comfort items that were emotionally important to Hurt, such as a rosary and a lucky t-shirt.

— jason duaine hahn, PEOPLE.com, "Southwest Airlines Employee Personally Delivers Luggage to Cancer Patient’s Home," 11 Aug. 2017
That presentation, hosted by the lay apostolate, begins at 6:30 p.m., a rosary of the seven sorrows prayer session begins at 5:30 p.m.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "Vickroy: From the ashes of Rwanda's genocide rises a phoenix of forgiveness," 28 July 2017
A visitation will be held from 2-8 p.m. July 30, with a rosary at 7 p.m., Sunday at Verheyden Funeral Home, 16300 Mack Avenue Grosse Pointe Park.

— ann zaniewski, Detroit Free Press, "Frank Couzens, descendant of two Detroit mayors, dies," 26 July 2017
Inside, several plastic sheaths hold the belongings of migrants whose remains were found in the Sonoran desert: a toothbrush; a Mexican ID; a belt buckle; shoelaces; a braided rosary chain; eyeglasses; 60 pesos.

— benjamin preston, Fortune, "A 9-Day Journey Along the Most Controversial Strip of Land in Trump’s America," 24 July 2017
A rosary service will be held at 7 p.m. July 9, with a funeral held the following day at 11 a.m. Both services will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 2612 W. State St. in Boise.

— john sowell, idahostatesman, "‘Tons of people have seen his face’: Basque sheepherder, weightlifter on Boise mural dies," 30 June 2017
At the wake for his friend, who was Catholic, Jantz took part in a prayer of the rosary, which includes repetition of the Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary in sets of ten.

— greg garrison, AL.com, "Ex-Baptist, Air Force captain, space engineer ordained as priest," 29 June 2017
The longtime Gittings Avenue resident, who later moved to Seminary Springs in Lutherville, was a devout Roman Catholic who made thousands of rosaries over the years, family members said, which were distributed worldwide by Holy Cross Ministries.

— frederick n. rasmussen, baltimoresun.com, "Maria C. Williams, banker," 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rosary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of rosary

Medieval Latin rosarium, from Latin, rose garden, from neuter of rosarius of roses, from rosa rose

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1547

See Words from the same year

ROSARY Defined for English Language Learners

rosary

play

noun

Definition of rosary for English Language Learners

: a string of beads that are used by Roman Catholics for counting prayers
the Rosary : a set of Roman Catholic prayers that are repeated in a specific order

ROSARY Defined for Kids

rosary

play

noun ro·sa·ry \ ˈrō-zə-rē \

Definition of rosary for Students

plural rosaries

:a string of beads used in counting prayers

Medical Dictionary

rosary

play

noun ro·sa·ry \ ˈrōz-(ə-)rē \

medical Definition of rosary

plural rosaries

:beading

Learn More about rosary

Spanish Central: Translation of rosary Nglish: Translation of rosary for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of rosary for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rosary

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up rosary? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

rosary

Definition of rosary

Recent Examples of rosary from the Web

Origin and Etymology of rosary

ROSARY Defined for English Language Learners

rosary

Definition of rosary for English Language Learners

ROSARY Defined for Kids

rosary

Definition of rosary for Students

Medical Dictionary

rosary

medical Definition of rosary

Learn More about rosary

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

toothsome

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

True or False?

Add Diction

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066

rosary

Definition of rosary

People Are Reading

Recent Examples of rosary from the Web

Origin and Etymology of rosary

Phrases Related to ROSARY

Related Phrases

ROSARY Defined for English Language Learners

rosary

Definition of rosary for English Language Learners

ROSARY Defined for Kids

rosary

Definition of rosary for Students

Medical Dictionary

rosary

medical Definition of rosary

Learn More about rosary

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066