What does rosary mean?
A rosary is a string of beads used to count prayers, particularly the Hail Mary and the Our Father, and it is especially associated with Catholic devotional practice. The word can also refer to the prayer cycle itself. In figurative, usually literary, use, a rosary is a succession of troubles, sorrows, or difficult events, suggesting both repetition and hardship. The beads have a practical role in keeping track of prayers and a symbolic role in expressing faith, mourning, remembrance, and devotion. Although the word comes from a Latin term associated with roses, modern rosaries are defined by their religious use and by the repeated sequence of prayers performed with them.
A string or loop of beads used to count prayers, especially in Catholic devotion.
"The priest handed her a rosary as she entered the chapel."
Most commonly associated with Catholic prayer, though related forms of prayer beads have been used in several other religious traditions.
The series of prayers traditionally recited while using a rosary.
"The congregation responded to the cantor as the rosary continued."
Often capitalized as part of the name of the Catholic devotion: the Rosary.
A figurative sequence of troubles, sorrows, or difficult experiences.
"The novel traces a rosary of losses across several generations."
This use is literary and suggests a connected succession of painful or difficult episodes.
The plural is used for individual prayer-bead objects as well as for separate prayer sequences.
"She collected rosaries from several places of pilgrimage."
The rosary takes its name from the Latin word for a “place of roses,” while its familiar design is built around a sequence of prayers rather than a floral display.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rosary come from?
The word comes through medieval English from Latin rosarium, meaning “rosary” or literally “place of roses,” which was derived from rosarius, “of roses,” from rosa, “rose.” The modern devotional sense developed from the use of beads to mark successive prayers. The Latin rose root also appears in English words such as rose, rosaceous, and rosarium.
How rosary is actually used
The term is most strongly associated with Catholic prayer. Its figurative use is literary and conveys a sequence of repeated difficulties or events.