Ave Maria
2
7.4
- noun
- /ˈɑːveɪ məˈriːə/
- Formal
:
Ave María
- Ave Maria, Torquemada said, and continued with the familiar litany.
- sing "Ave Maria"
Examples
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The second is Franz Schubert's world-famous "Ave Maria."
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I'm named after her. "You are?" Ave Maria means Hail Mary. "I didn't know that."
Fiction book (2000) -
3 times "Ave Maria" prayer of the arrow.
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Camille read, her quiet voice in competition with the Ave Maria.
Fiction book (2001) -
Ave Maria Full of Grace, Blessed art thou among women ... and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
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I don't think you realise it, Reggie, but people still talk about your Celeste Aida four years ago and your Ave Maria two years ago.
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We recorded solo trumpet, voice, and violin performances of the first 23 measures of Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod) accompanied by piano.
Academic text (2015) -
Listeners heard solo trumpet, violin, and soprano performances of Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod) accompanied by piano.
Academic text (2015) -
During the ceremony, the choir beautifully sang the Ave Maria to honor the Virgin Mary.
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As the sun set, the congregation joined together in prayer, reciting the Ave Maria for peace.
Synonyms
11
7.7
A short prayer to the Virgin Mary said for help
Surface Forms
Morphology
ave + Maria
The meaning 'a prayer or salutation to the Virgin Mary' is directly derivable from combining 'ave' (an archaic/Latin salutation, 'hail') with 'Maria' (Mary). This literal composition ('hail Mary') is cross-linguistically familiar (e.g., Spanish/English 'Ave María/Ave Maria') and thus immediately comprehensible to learners who know both constituents.
Etymology
Ave Maria comes from Latin words meaning 'Hail Mary' and began as a short greeting to the Virgin Mary that people said in church. That's why Ave Maria now refers to that 'prayer' itself and to musical pieces that use those words.