Prayer

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: pray=er

CIDE DICTIONARY

Prayer, n. 

 One who prays; a supplicant.  [1913 Webster]

Prayer, n. [OE. preiere, OF. preiere, F. prière, fr. L. precarius obtained by prayer, fr. precari to pray. See Pray, v. i.].

•  The act of praying, or of asking a favor; earnest request or entreaty; hence, a petition or memorial addressed to a court or a legislative body.  Chaucer  [1913 Webster]
•  The act of addressing supplication to a divinity, especially to the true God; the offering of adoration, confession, supplication, and thanksgiving to the Supreme Being; as, public prayer; secret prayer.  [1913 Webster]

  "As he is famed for mildness, peace, and prayer."  [1913 Webster]
•  The form of words used in praying; a formula of supplication; an expressed petition; especially, a supplication addressed to God; as, a written or extemporaneous prayer; to repeat one's prayers.  [1913 Webster]

  "He made those excellent prayers which were published immediately after his death."  [1913 Webster]

Prayer book, a book containing devotional prayers. -- Prayer meeting, a meeting or gathering for prayer to God.

Syn. -- Petition; orison; supplication; entreaty; suit.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Prayer, n.
1 a a solemn request or thanksgiving to God or an object of worship (say a prayer). b a formula or form of words used in praying (the Lord's prayer). c the act of praying (be at prayer). d a religious service consisting largely of prayers (morning prayers).
2 a an entreaty to a person. b a thing entreated or prayed for.

Idiom

not have a prayer US colloq. have no chance (of success etc.). prayer-book a book containing the forms of prayer in regular use, esp. the Book of Common Prayer. prayer-mat a small carpet used by Muslims when praying. prayer-wheel a revolving cylindrical box inscribed with or containing prayers, used esp. by Tibetan Buddhists.

Derivative

prayerless adj.

Prayer, n. a person who prays.

THESAURUS

Prayer

Angelus, Ave, Ave Maria, Hail Mary, Kyrie Eleison, Mass, Paternoster, adjuration, adoration, aid prayer, appeal, application, asker, beadroll, beads, bedtime prayer, beggar, begging, beseeching, beseechment, bid, bidding prayer, breviary, call, camp meeting, chaplet, church, church service, clamor, collect, communion, compline, contemplation, cry, devotion, devotions, divine service, duty, entreaty, evening devotions, evensong, exercises, grace, impetration, imploration, imploring, imprecation, intercession, invocation, invocatory plea, lauds, litany, liturgy, matins, meditation, meeting, morning devotions, night song, none, nones, novena, obsecration, obtestation, office, orison, petition, petitioner, plea, pleading, praise meeting, prayer meeting, prayer wheel, prayers, praying, prime, prime song, public worship, request, revival, revival meeting, rogation, rosary, service, sext, silent prayer, suit, suitor, supplicant, supplication, supplicator, tent meeting, thanks, thanksgiving, tierce, undersong, vesper, vespers, vigils, watch meeting, watch night, watch-night service, worship

ROGET THESAURUS

Prayer

Request

N request, requisition, claim, petition, suit, prayer, begging letter, round robin, motion, overture, application, canvass, address, appeal, apostrophe, imprecation, rogation, proposal, proposition, orison, incantation, mendicancy, asking, begging, postulation, solicitation, invitation, entreaty, importunity, supplication, instance, impetration, imploration, obsecration, obtestation, invocation, interpellation, requesting, precatory, suppliant, supplicant, supplicatory, postulant, obsecratory, importunate, clamorous, urgent, cap in hand, on one's knees, on one's bended knees, on one's marrowbones, prithee, do, please, pray, be so good as, be good enough, have the goodness, vouchsafe, will you, I pray thee, if you please, Int, for God's sake!, for heaven's sake!, for goodness' sake!, for mercy's sake!, Dieu vous garde, dirigenos Domine, would you be so kind as to.

Worship

N worship, adoration, devotion, aspiration, homage, service, humiliation, kneeling, genuflection, prostration, prayer, invocation, supplication, rogation, intercession, orison, holy breathing, petition, collect, litany, Lord's prayer, paternoster, beadroll, latria, dulia, hyperdulia, vigils, revival, cult, anxious meeting, camp meeting, ebenezer, virginal, thanksgiving, giving thanks, returning thanks, grace, praise, glorification, benediction, doxology, hosanna, hallelujah, allelujah, Te Deum, non nobis Domine, nunc dimittis, paean, benschen, Ave Maria, O Salutaris, Sanctus, The Annunciation, Tersanctus, Trisagion, psalm, psalmody, hymn, plain song, chant, chaunt, response, anthem, motet, antiphon, antiphony, oblation, sacrifice, incense, libation, burnt offering, heave offering, votive offering, offertory, discipline, self-discipline, self-examination, self-denial, fasting, divine service, office, duty, exercises, morning prayer, mass, matins, evensong, vespers, undernsong, tierce, holyday, worshipper, congregation, communicant, celebrant, worshipping, devout, devotional, reverent, pure, solemn, fervid, Int, hallelujah, allelujah!, hosanna!, glory be to God!, O Lord!, pray God that!, God grant, God bless, God save, God forbid!, sursum corda, making their lives a prayer, ora et labora, prayers ardent open heaven.