Ave Maria

[ ah-vey muh-ree-uh ]

noun

1. (italics) the first two words of the Latin version of a prayer in the Roman Catholic Church, based on the salutation of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary and the words of Elizabeth to her.
2. a recitation of this prayer.
3. the bead or beads on a rosary used to count off each prayer as spoken.

Ave Maria

/ məˈriːə /

noun

1. another name for Hail Mary

Word History and Origins

Origin of Ave Maria¹

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; ave

Word History and Origins

Origin of Ave Maria¹

C14: from Medieval Latin: hail, Mary!

Example Sentences

The champion mirrored Agent 47 in the Hitman video gaming series, making his entrance to Franz Schubert's Ave Maria - a song used in the game.

From BBC

“He just decided, you know what, I’m gonna stop taking questions and then he’s swaying to "Ave Maria" and "YMCA" for about half an hour,” Obama said.

From Salon

As the director of online sales for the builder CC Homes, Lorraine Sanchez encourages prospective buyers to go see the company’s houses in Ave Maria, a town in southwest Florida.

From New York Times

“We can all pray the Lord’s Prayer, Ave Maria,” he says, “but climb a 100-foot post and jump headfirst when you know that if you fall you die.”

From Los Angeles Times

"The women were crying and jumping up and down. One kept shouting 'Ave Maria, Ave Maria'. It was an emotional moment for me," says Gibb.

From BBC