ave maria

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

Ave Maria
    n 1: a salutation to the Virgin Mary now used in prayers to her
         [syn: {Ave Maria}, {Hail Mary}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Ave Maria \A"ve Ma*ri"a\, Ave Mary \A"ve Ma"ry\ [From the first
   words of the Roman Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary; L. ave
   hail, Maria Mary.]
   1. A salutation and prayer to the Virgin Mary, as mother of
      God; -- used in the Roman Catholic church.
      [1913 Webster]

            To number Ave Maries on his beads.    --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A particular time (as in Italy, at the ringing of the
      bells about half an hour after sunset, and also at early
      dawn), when the people repeat the Ave Maria.
      [1913 Webster]

            Ave Maria ! blessed be the hour !     --Byron.
      [1913 Webster]

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

38 Moby Thesaurus words for "Ave Maria":
      Angelus, Ave, Hail Mary, Kyrie Eleison, Paternoster, aid prayer,
      appeal, beadroll, beads, beseechment, bidding prayer, breviary,
      chaplet, collect, communion, contemplation, devotions, entreaty,
      grace, impetration, imploration, intercession, invocation, litany,
      meditation, obsecration, obtestation, orison, petition, prayer,
      prayer wheel, rogation, rosary, silent prayer, suit, supplication,
      thanks, thanksgiving