Requiem

American  

[rek-wee-uhm, ree-kwee-, rey-] / ˈrɛk wi əm, ˈri kwi-, ˈreɪ- /

Or requiem

noun

1. Roman Catholic Church.

   1. Also called Requiem Mass.  the Mass celebrated for the repose of the souls of the dead.

   2. a celebration of this Mass.

   3. a plainsong setting for this Mass.

2. any musical service, hymn, or dirge for the repose of the dead.

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Requiem British  

/ ˈrɛkwɪˌɛm /

noun

1. RC Church a Mass celebrated for the dead

2. a musical setting of this Mass

3. any piece of music composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person or persons

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Requiem Cultural  

1. In music, a Mass for one or more dead persons, containing biblical passages and prayers for the admission of the dead to heaven. The term has been loosely applied to other musical compositions in honor of the dead. A German Requiem by Johannes Brahms, for example, uses texts from the Bible (see also Bible) but is not a Mass.

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Etymology

Origin of Requiem

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Latin, accusative of requiēs ”rest” (the first word of the introit of the mass for the dead); re- ( def. ), quiet ( def. )

Example Sentences

Reena Esmail acknowledged the irony that we were talking about her new choral work — “A Requiem for Water,” inspired by California’s water crisis — in the midst of a deluge.

From Los Angeles Times

At an array of venues including the airy Felsenreitschule and the sacred space of the Baroque Kollegienkirche, its scale this year ranged from solo chant to Benjamin Britten’s immense “War Requiem.”

From New York Times

The Met announced plans to resume with a Verdi Requiem on Sept. 11 to mark the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

From Seattle Times

She would quote Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem, “Requiem”: “‘Home is the sailor,’ my mother said, ‘home from the sea. And the hunter home from the hill.’

From Los Angeles Times

It’s like “Requiem for a Dream” meets “The Hurt Locker” with touches of “Natural Born Killers” and “Apocalypse Now.”

From Washington Times