rosary
noun
ro·sa·ry ˈrō-zə-rē 
ˈrōz-rē
plural rosaries
1
often capitalized : a Roman Catholic devotion consisting of meditation on usually five sacred mysteries during recitation of five decades of Hail Marys of which each begins with an Our Father and ends with a Gloria Patri
2
: a string of beads used in counting prayers especially of the Roman Catholic rosary
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web My mother stroked her mother’s hair and pressed a rosary into her palm. 
Michael Stanley, WSJ, 22 Aug. 2022 Having just spoken to her daughter, Bobbie was sitting in bed, saying a rosary for the Bradshaws. Stephanie Mansfield, Good Housekeeping, 11 Aug. 2022 Family members and friends mourned and prayed the rosary, keeping out the omnipresent cameras and reporters drawn to the rural Texas community that has been thrust into the nation’s conscience. Antonio Planas, NBC News, 30 May 2022 In 98 degree heat, nuns in habits stood by a temporary fence and prayed the rosary. Douglas Belkin, WSJ, 28 May 2022 Inside the car’s dark interior, a reddish-brown rosary with the image of a teenage boy hangs from the rear-view mirror. New York Times, 31 July 2022 Visitation will begin on Tuesday, May 31, at 3 p.m. followed by a rosary at 7 p.m. at the mortuary. Elena Bruess, San Antonio Express-News, 26 May 2022 Besides the rosary, thieves also lifted a set of coronation cups given by Mary to the then-earl marshal, a member of the Howard family. Nora Mcgreevy, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 May 2021 Summerhays admitted to being surprised that a rosary in San Francisco would be dragged into an international conflict. Michael Cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Mar. 2022 See More
Michael Stanley, WSJ, 22 Aug. 2022 Having just spoken to her daughter, Bobbie was sitting in bed, saying a rosary for the Bradshaws. Stephanie Mansfield, Good Housekeeping, 11 Aug. 2022 Family members and friends mourned and prayed the rosary, keeping out the omnipresent cameras and reporters drawn to the rural Texas community that has been thrust into the nation’s conscience. Antonio Planas, NBC News, 30 May 2022 In 98 degree heat, nuns in habits stood by a temporary fence and prayed the rosary. Douglas Belkin, WSJ, 28 May 2022 Inside the car’s dark interior, a reddish-brown rosary with the image of a teenage boy hangs from the rear-view mirror. New York Times, 31 July 2022 Visitation will begin on Tuesday, May 31, at 3 p.m. followed by a rosary at 7 p.m. at the mortuary. Elena Bruess, San Antonio Express-News, 26 May 2022 Besides the rosary, thieves also lifted a set of coronation cups given by Mary to the then-earl marshal, a member of the Howard family. Nora Mcgreevy, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 May 2021 Summerhays admitted to being surprised that a rosary in San Francisco would be dragged into an international conflict. Michael Cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, "rose garden, rosebush," borrowed from Medieval Latin rosārium "rose garden, rosebush, book of devotions," going back to Latin, "rose bed, rose garden," from rosa rose entry 2 + -ārium -ary entry 1
First Known Use
1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing rosary
Kids Definition
rosary
noun
ro·sa·ry ˈrō-zə-rē
plural rosaries
: a string of beads used in counting prayers
Medical Definition
rosary
noun
ro·sa·ry ˈrōz-(ə-)rē
plural rosaries
: beading