ave maria

IPA/ˈɑːveɪ mɐɹˈiːə/
IPA/ˈɑːveɪ mɚɹˈiːə/

ave maria — idiom

1. the prayer beginning with words of praise to Mary, the mother of Jesus, used in

1.idiomC1
Definition

the prayer beginning with words of praise to Mary, the mother of Jesus, used in Roman Catholic worship.

Example

After the funeral, Christopher quietly said an Ave Maria beside the grave.

say an Ave Maria after a funeral

Roya learned the Ave Maria from her grandmother before First Communion.

learn the Ave Maria as a fixed prayer

Common collocations
  • say an Ave Maria
  • pray an Ave Maria
  • recite the Ave Maria
  • whisper the Ave Maria
Synonyms
  • Hail Mary

    the usual English name for the same Catholic prayer

  • prayer

    much broader and does not name this specific fixed text

Grammar Patterns

say an Ave Maria

pray an Ave Maria

recite the Ave Maria

Usage Note

Usually treated as the title of one fixed prayer. Common after verbs such as say, pray, recite, and whisper, especially in Roman Catholic contexts.

Common Mistakes

The class read an Ave Maria song before Mass.
The class said an Ave Maria before Mass.
the phrase names a prayer, not any religious text in general.

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The phrase comes from the opening Latin words of the prayer: 'Ave Maria', meaning 'Hail, Mary'. Because those first words identify the prayer so strongly, they became its title in many languages.

First known use

13th century

13th century, in the meaning defined above