rosary
Meanings
Plural: rosaries
Noun
- a string of beads used in counting prayers (especially by Catholics)
- Prayer beads, a string of beads used to keep track of repetitions in prayer, particularly in the Roman Catholic Marian prayer "Hail Mary" (Ave Maria)
- A Roman Catholic devotion involving the repetition of a series of Marian prayers, usually 5, 15, or 20 decades of "Hail Marys", each decade beginning with "Our Father" and ending with "Glory Be to the Father", but sometimes including other Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Lutheran prayers.
- A series or collection of thoughts, literary pieces, etc. intended for similar contemplation.
- A 13th-century coin minted in Europe as a counterfeit debased form of the sterling silver penny of Edward I, at first accepted as a halfpenny and then outlawed.
- A rose garden.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English rosarie, from Latin rosārium, here in its sense as a garland of roses. The coin usage referred to the laurel wreath appearing on the obverse bust, as opposed to the bare head on the pollard. Doublet of Rosario and rosarium.
Synonyms
prayer beads
Scrabble Score: 9
rosary is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordrosary is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
rosary is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary
Words With Friends Score: 8
rosary is a valid Words With Friends word