rosary

noun

ro·​sa·​ry ˈrō-zə-rē How to pronounce rosary (audio)
ˈrōz-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

Examples of rosary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There was also an abundance of objects of religious devotion, such as rosaries and crucifixes. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 The church held a rosary at the end of its Ash Wednesday services and another Thursday morning. Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2024 According to detectives, beads from Amie Harwick's broken rosary necklace led from Harwick's TV room, through her bedroom and out onto her bedroom balcony. Cameron Rubner, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2024 Other artifacts found in the church include medals and rosaries from Rome, likely brought back as souvenirs. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024 Woken up in the middle of the night to chant the rosary. Bishop Sand, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2024 Soubirous knelt and prayed the rosary, according to the website. Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2024 Peter and Paul allows the faithful to bring religious items, such as rosaries, that can be carefully touched to the relics. Suzanne Baker, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2023 His penance is to pray the rosary — and then rip apart a pillow in the church belfry. Will Swaim, National Review, 6 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rosary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "rose garden, rosebush," borrowed from Medieval Latin rosārium "rose garden, rosebush, book of devotions," going back to Latin, "rose bed, rose garden," from rosa rose entry 2 + -ārium -ary entry 1

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rosary was in 1547

Dictionary Entries Near rosary

Cite this Entry

“Rosary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rosary. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rosary

noun
ro·​sa·​ry ˈrōz-(ə-)rē How to pronounce rosary (audio)
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.

Medical Definition

rosary

noun
ro·​sa·​ry ˈrōz-(ə-)rē How to pronounce rosary (audio)
plural rosaries

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