Litanies

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Litany \Lit"a*ny\ (l[i^]t"[.a]*n[y^]), n.; pl. {Litanies}
     (l[i^]t"[.a]*n[i^]z). [OE. letanie, OF. letanie, F. litanie,
     L. litania, Gr. litanei`a, fr. litaney`ein to pray, akin to
     li`tesqai, li`ssesqai, to pray, lith` prayer.]
     A solemn form of supplication in the public worship of
     various churches, in which the clergy and congregation join,


     the former leading and the latter responding in alternate
     sentences. It is usually of a penitential character.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Supplications . . . for the appeasing of God's wrath
           were of the Greek church termed litanies, and rogations
           of the Latin.                            --Hooker.
     [1913 Webster]