Dies Irae

American  

[dee-eys eer-ey] / ˈdi eɪs ˈɪər eɪ /

noun

1. a Latin hymn on the Day of Judgment, commonly sung in a Requiem Mass.

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Dies Irae British  

/ ˈdiːeɪz ˈɪəraɪ /

noun

1. Christianity a famous Latin hymn of the 13th century, describing the Last Judgment. It is used in the Mass for the dead

2. a musical setting of this hymn, usually part of a setting of the Requiem

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Etymology

Origin of Dies Irae

literally: day of wrath

Example Sentences

At the end, the Disney organ, with its wood pipes, plays, as the forest burns, an angry Dies Irae.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2022

Still, the books wouldn’t have to face that Dies Irae for a while yet.

From Washington Post • Sep. 30, 2020

The opening of the finale, the “Witches’ Sabbath,” lives up to its title: deranged and wild, with a Dies Irae so chilling it was later used by Stanley Kubrick in “The Shining.”

From New York Times • Sep. 6, 2018

Even if not every section is equally successful – the Dies Irae registers as surprisingly jolly for the day of judgment – the best is bold and distinctive.

From The Guardian • Jul. 6, 2011

It was the birthplace of Thomas of Celano, the author of the Dies Irae.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5 "Cat" to "Celt" by Various