Pray

• POS: Interjection, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Pray, n. & v. 

 See Pry.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

Pray, v. i. [OE. preien, OF. preier, F. prier, L. precari, fr. prex, precis, a prayer, a request; akin to Skr. prach to ask, AS. frignan, frīnan, fricgan, G. fragen, Goth. fraíhnan. Cf. Deprecate, Imprecate, Precarious.].

 To make request with earnestness or zeal, as for something desired; to make entreaty or supplication; to offer prayer to a deity or divine being as a religious act; specifically, to address the Supreme Being with adoration, confession, supplication, and thanksgiving.  [1913 Webster]
" And to his goddess pitously he preyde."  [1913 Webster]
"When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."  [1913 Webster]
"I pray, sir. why am I beaten?"  [1913 Webster]

I pray, or (by ellipsis) Pray, I beg; I request; I entreat you; -- used in asking a question, making a request, introducing a petition, etc.; as, Pray, allow me to go.

Syn. -- To entreat; supplicate; beg; implore; invoke; beseech; petition.

Pray, v. t. 

•  To address earnest request to; to supplicate; to entreat; to implore; to beseech.  [1913 Webster]

  "And as this earl was preyed, so did he."  [1913 Webster]

  "We pray you . . . by ye reconciled to God."  [1913 Webster]
•  To ask earnestly for; to seek to obtain by supplication; to entreat for.  [1913 Webster]

  "I know not how to pray your patience."  [1913 Webster]
•  To effect or accomplish by praying; as, to pray a soul out of purgatory.  Milman.  [1913 Webster]

To pray in aid. (Law) (a) To call in as a helper one who has an interest in the cause. Bacon. (b) A phrase often used to signify claiming the benefit of an argument. See under Aid. Mozley & W.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Pray, v. (often foll. by for or to + infin. or that + clause)
1 intr. (often foll. by to) say prayers (to God etc.); make devout supplication.
2 a tr. entreat, beseech. b tr. & intr. ask earnestly (prayed to be released).
3 tr. (as imper.) archaic & formal please (pray tell me).

Idiom

praying mantis see MANTIS.

Etymology

ME f. OF preier f. LL precare f. L precari entreat

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Pray

v. To ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy.

THESAURUS

Pray

I beg you, adjure, appeal, appeal to, apply to, ask, be good enough, beg, beseech, brace, call for help, call on, call upon, circulate a petition, clamor for, commune with God, conjure, crave, cry for, cry on, cry to, do, entreat, give thanks, have the goodness, if you please, impetrate, implore, importune, imprecate, invoke, kneel to, make supplication, memorialize, obtest, offer a prayer, petition, plead, plead for, plead with, please, pray do, pray over, prefer a petition, prithee, recite the rosary, request, return thanks, run to, say grace, sign a petition, solicit, sue, supplicate, will you

ROGET THESAURUS

Pray

Request

VB request, ask, beg, crave, sue, pray, petition, solicit, invite, pop the question, make bold to ask, beg leave, beg a boon, apply to, call to, put to, call upon, call for, make a request, address a request, prefer a request, put up a request, make a prayer, address a prayer, prefer a prayer, put up a prayer, make a petition, address a petition, prefer a petition, put up a petition, make application, make a requisition, ask trouble, ask one for, claim, offer up prayers, whistle for, beg hard, entreat, beseech, plead, supplicate, implore, conjure, adjure, obtest, cry to, kneel to, appeal to, invoke, evoke, impetrate, imprecate, ply, press, urge, beset, importune, dun, tax, clamor for, cry aloud, cry for help, fall on one's knees, throw oneself at the feet of, come down on one's marrowbones, beg from door to door, send the hat round, go a begging, mendicate, mump, cadge, beg one's bread, dance attendance on, besiege, knock at the door, bespeak, canvass, tout, make interest, court, seek, bid for, publish the banns.

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

VB worship, lift up the heart, aspire, revere, adore, do service, pay homage, humble oneself, kneel, bow the knee, bend the knee, fall down, fall on one's knees, prostrate oneself, bow down and worship, pray, invoke, supplicate, put up, offer up prayers, offer petitions, beseech, say one's prayers, tell one's beads, return thanks, give thanks, say grace, bless, praise, laud, glorify, magnify, sing praises, give benediction, lead the choir, intone, deacon, deacon off propitiate, offer sacrifice, fast, deny oneself, vow, offer vows, give alms, work out one's salvation, go to church, attend service, attend mass, communicate.