Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Prayer \Prayer\ (?; 277), n. [OE. preiere, OF. preiere, F. pri[`e]re, 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. ``Their meek preyere.''
--Chaucer-
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.
As he is famed for mildness, peace, and prayer.
--Shak. -
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.
He made those excellent prayers which were published immediately after his death.
--Bp. Fell.Prayer book, a book containing devotional prayers.
Prayer meeting, a meeting or gathering for prayer to God.
Syn: Petition; orison; supplication; entreaty; suit.
Wiktionary
alt. 1 A book containing religious prayers 2 (when capitalized) The Book of Common Prayer 3 (context nautical English) A small holystone n. 1 A book containing religious prayers 2 (when capitalized) The Book of Common Prayer 3 (context nautical English) A small holystone
WordNet
n. a book containing prayers [syn: prayerbook]
Wikipedia
A prayer book is a book containing prayers and perhaps devotional readings, for private or communal use, or in some cases, outlining the liturgy of religious services. Books containing mainly orders of religious services, or readings for them are termed "service books" or "liturgical books", and are thus not prayer-books in the strictest sense, but the term is often used very loosely. A religion's scriptures might also be considered prayer books as well.
The following are among the many books to which the term may loosely refer in various churches or religions, although in strict usage a prayer book is likely to mean a miscellaneous book of prayers as opposed to the standard service books as listed in the second group below:
Actual prayer books:
- Book of Common Prayer (BCP), first published in 1549 for the Church of England and has considerable literary influence in the English language
- Saint Augustine's Prayer Book, in the Episcopal Church of the United States
- Vatican Croatian Prayer Book, a Croatian vernacular prayer book
- Siddur, in Judaism
Service & liturgical books:
- Breviary or Missal, in Roman Catholicism
- Agenda (liturgy), in Lutheranism
- Common Worship, in Anglicanism
- Alternative Service Book (adopted in 1980), in the Church of England
- Directory of Public Worship, adopted in certain areas of the Church of England in the 17th century
- Book of Hours in Roman Catholicism, many of which have fine examples of Medieval art
A Prayer book is a book listing prayers. Prayer book may also refer to:
- Operation Prayer Book, a series of four operation orders carried out during the United States invasion of Panama
- Prayer Book Rebellion, a popular revolt in Cornwall and Devon in 1549 as a result of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP)
- Prayer Book Society of Canada, an organization within the Anglican Church of Canada which promotes the understanding and use of the BCP
Usage examples of "prayer book".
The table lay upended, torn pages of a prayer book strewn along the floor in among broken fragments of a smashed chair.
He closed his prayer book and looked at how the light fell over my mother's grave.
His skin was gray as his robe, and his hands trembled on the worn leather of his prayer book.
A priest came out of the booth, not with a smile, not with a prayer book, but in a sliding heap, dead and drenched in blood.
Then you come down with a bang from all the splendour of the Prayer Book and the really super prose of Cranmer to what some chap thinks it would be good for you to hear.
But Carreen, deeper and deeper immersed in her prayer book and every day losing more of her touch with the world of realities, treated Will as gently as a brother and took him as much for granted as she did Pork.