Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Ecclesiastical The office that formerly constituted together with lauds the first of the seven canonical hours.
  • noun The time of day appointed for this service, traditionally midnight or 2 AM but often sunrise.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun together with lauds, the earliest of the canonical hours; normally at sunrise, but often earlier
  • noun morning prayers

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the first canonical hour; at daybreak

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English matines, from Old French, from Medieval Latin (vigiliae) mātūtīnae, morning (vigils), feminine pl. of Latin mātūtīnus, of the morning, from Mātūta, goddess of dawn; see mā- in Indo-European roots.]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word matins.

Examples

  • 48The final type of liturgical manuscript from these houses are collectars, which contained the collects or prayers for the different hours of the Divine Office. 124 According to Humbert's prototype, the collectar starts with a calendar and then describes "the manner of singing all the capitula, the blessings before the lessons in matins, the versicles before lauds, all the antiphons, all the prayers (or orationes)."

    Sensual Encounters: Monastic Women and Spirituality in Medieval Germany 2008

  • The church commences her solemn service of each of these days with that part of the divine office called matins and lauds, and at this time Tenebrae from the _darkness_ with which it concludes.

    The Ceremonies of the Holy-Week at Rome Charles Michael Baggs

  • They went to that office of the night which is called matins in those churches in which it is said at midnight, as is still the custom at Notre Dame, in Paris.

    The Life and Legends of Saint Francis of Assisi Father Candide Chalippe

  • They went to that office of the night which is called matins in those churches in which it is said at midnight, as is still the custom at Notre Dame, in Paris.

    The Life and Legends of Saint Francis of Assisi Chalippe, Father Candide 1917

  • In the Bell Tower a fine chime of bells is placed the playing of which at noon and sunset recalls the matins and vespers of the

    The Old Franciscan Missions Of California George Wharton James 1890

  • The large bell -- used to announce the services of the church, and, through the kindness of Lady Rollo, to ring at "matins" and at "even-song" -- is of very full tone.

    Chronicles of Strathearn John Hunter 1883

  • Whether my companions heard it or not, I know not, but it was a kind of matins to me, and the event of that forenoon.

    The Maine Woods 1858

  • "Si, je sais bien que tous les matins elles balayent leurs escaliers puis y jettent un seau d'eau."

    Tante Marie-Francoise 2009

  • Tu as entendu! s'énerve Audrey, elles se posent la même question tous les matins et je suis sûre que demain c'est Françoise qui demandera à Lucienne s'il faut arroser ou non les fleurs!

    Lettres de ma Terrasse 2009

  • Tu as entendu! s'énerve Audrey, elles se posent la même question tous les matins et je suis sûre que demain c'est Françoise qui demandera à Lucienne s'il faut arroser ou non les fleurs!

    Tante Marie-Francoise 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • c1250 Lutel Soth Serm. (Calig.) 69 in R. Morris Old Eng. Misc. (1872) 190 Masses and matines ne kepeth heo nouht.

    June 21, 2008