rosary: Meaning and Definition of

ro•sa•ry

Pronunciation: (rō'zu-rē), [key]
— pl. -ries.
    1. a series of prayers, usually consisting of 15 decades of aves, each decade being preceded by a paternoster and followed by a Gloria Patri, one of the mysteries or events in the life of Christ or the Virgin Mary being recalled at each decade.
    2. a string of beads used for counting these prayers during their recitation.
    3. a similar string of beads consisting of five decades.
  1. (among other religious bodies) a string of beads similarly used in praying.
  2. a rose garden or a bed of roses.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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