paternoster

[ pey-ter-nos-ter, pah‑, pat-er‑ ]

noun

1. (often initial capital letter) Also Pater Noster. the Lord's Prayer, especially in the Latin form.
2. a recitation of this prayer as an act of worship.
3. one of certain beads in a rosary, regularly every 11th bead, differing in size or material from the rest and indicating that the Lord's Prayer is to be said.
4. any fixed recital of words used as a prayer or magical charm.
5. a doorless, continuously moving elevator for passengers or goods, having numerous platforms or compartments that rise or descend on a moving chain.
6. (initial capital letter) Architecture. pearl molding.

paternoster

¹

/ ˌpætəˈnɒstə /

noun

1. RC Church the beads at the ends of each decade of the rosary marking the points at which the Paternoster is recited
2. any fixed form of words used as a prayer or charm
3. Also calledpaternoster line a type of fishing tackle in which short lines and hooks are attached at intervals to the main line
4. a type of lift in which platforms are attached to continuous chains. The lift does not stop at each floor but passengers enter while it is moving

Paternoster

²

/ ˌpætəˈnɒstə /

noun

1. the Lord's Prayer, esp in Latin
2. the recital of this as an act of devotion

Word History and Origins

Origin of paternoster¹

before 1000; Middle English, Old English: Lord's prayer < Latin pater noster our father, its first two words in the Vulgate (Matthew VI: 9

Word History and Origins

Origin of paternoster¹

Latin, literally: our father (from the opening of the Lord's Prayer)

Origin of paternoster²

see paternoster

Example Sentences

The Paternoster lift at the University of Leicester's Attenborough Tower closed in 2017 - despite a petition to save it - because officials said it became too expensive to maintain.

From BBC

And Paternoster totally shreds, on her guitar and in her throat.

From Washington Post

“Ice, Ice, baby!” was scrawled on a signboard outside one pub, The Paternoster.

From New York Times

The Prince of Wales unfavourably compared a Rogers plan to redevelop Paternoster Square beside St Paul's Cathedral in London to the efforts of the Luftwaffe.

From BBC

It’s also become a top issue for Christina Paternoster, project director at the PA Parent and Family Alliance, which provides support to the parents of children with mental health challenges.

From The Guardian