rosary

UK: /ˈrəʊzəri/ US: /ˈroʊzəri/ ,(rō′zə rē)

Inflections of 'rosary' (n): npl: rosaries

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ro•sa•ry /ˈroʊzəri/   n. [countable] , pl. -ries. 

1. Religion a series of prayers said by Roman Catholics, while moving the hand along beads and meditating.
2. Religion a string of beads used in counting these prayers.
3. Religion a similar string used in praying by other religious groups.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ro•sa•ry  (rō′zə rē), n., pl. -ries. 

1. [Rom. Cath. Ch.]
   • Religion a series of prayers, usually consisting of 15 decades of aves, each decade being preceded by a paternoster and followed by a Gloria Patri, one of the mysteries or events in the life of Christ or the Virgin Mary being recalled at each decade.
   • Religion a string of beads used for counting these prayers during their recitation.
   • Religion a similar string of beads consisting of five decades.
2. Religion (among other religious bodies) a string of beads similarly used in praying.
3. Botany a rose garden or a bed of roses.

• Medieval Latin rosārium, in all current senses, Latin: rose garden, equivalent. to ros(a) rose¹ + -ārium -ary
• 1350–1400 for earlier sense; 1400–50 for sense "rose garden''; 1540–50 for def. 1; Middle English rosarie

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

rosary / ˈrəʊzərɪ/ noun ( -saries)

1. a series of prayers counted on a string of beads, usually consisting of five or 15 decades of Aves, each decade beginning with a Paternoster and ending with a Gloria
2. a string of 55 or 165 beads used to count these prayers as they are recited
3. (in other religions) a similar string of beads used in praying
4. an archaic word for garland1

Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin rosārium rose garden, from rosārius of roses, from rosa rose¹