Pray

Pray, prā, v.i. to ask earnestly: to entreat: to speak and make known one's desires to God.—v.t. to ask earnestly and reverently, as in worship: to supplicate: to get by praying:—pr.p. prāy′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. prāyed.—ns. Pray′er, the act of praying: entreaty: the words used: solemn giving of thanks and praise to God, and a making known of our requests to Him: a form of prayer used in worship: a petition to a public body; Pray′er-book, a book containing prayers or forms of devotion.—adj. Pray′erful, full of, or given to, prayer: praying much or often: devotional.—adv. Pray′erfully.—n. Pray′erfulness.—adj. Pray′erless, without or not using prayer.—adv. Pray′erlessly.—ns. Pray′erlessness; Pray′er-meet′ing, a shorter and simpler form of public religious service, in which laymen often take part; Pray′er-mong′er, one who prays mechanically; Pray′er-rug, a small carpet on which a Moslem kneels at prayer; Pray′ing, the act of making a prayer: a prayer made.—adj. given to prayer.—ns. Pray′ing-machine′, -mill, -wheel, a revolving apparatus used for prayer in Tibet and elsewhere. [O. Fr. preier (Fr. prier)—L. precāri—prex, precis, a prayer.]