Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The 51st Psalm.
- noun A musical setting of this psalm.
- noun A prayer for mercy.
- noun An expression of lamentation or complaint.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The 51st Psalm (50th in the Vulgate and Douay versions): so called from its first word. , ,
- noun A hinged seat in a church stall, made to turn up, and bearing on its under side a bracket capable of affording some support to one who, in standing, leans against it.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (R. C. Ch.) The psalm usually appointed for penitential acts, being the 50th psalm in the Latin version. It commences with the word
miserere . - noun A musical composition adapted to the 50th psalm.
- noun (Arch.) A small projecting boss or bracket, on the under side of the hinged seat of a church stall (see
Stall ). It was intended, the seat being turned up, to give some support to a worshiper when standing. Called alsomisericordia . - noun (Med.) Same as
Ileus .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun a prayer for mercy.
- noun an expression of
lamentation orcomplaint . - noun a medieval dagger, used for the mercy stroke to a wounded foe;
misericord . - noun architecture A small projecting
boss orbracket on the underside of the hinged seat of achurch stall , intended to give some support to a standing worshipper when the seat is turned up; amisericordia . - noun
ileus
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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They are called miserere-stalls, and were used by the monks or canons to lean against during the portions of the long mediaeval services, when they were not allowed to be seated.
English Villages 1892
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Among the most interesting of these are the "miserere" seats, of which we shall speak at more length.
Arts and Crafts in the Middle Ages A Description of Mediaeval Workmanship in Several of the Departments of Applied Art, Together with Some Account of Special Artisans in the Early Renaissance Julia de Wolf Gibbs Addison
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The Lateran Basilica, however, retains the ancient custom of the triple "miserere".
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 1: Aachen-Assize 1840-1916 1913
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About the same time the custom was introduced of substituting "dona nobis pacem" for the third "miserere nobis"; although by way of exception, the third "miserere" was said on Holy
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 1: Aachen-Assize 1840-1916 1913
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F "-- to select from the lesser order, which indiscriminately assigns to each of the" Agnus ... mundi "a confused jumble of" miserere "and
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 1: Aachen-Assize 1840-1916 1913
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At the end of each Improperium is sung the "Trisagion", Sanctus Deus, Sanctus fortis, Sanctus Immortalis, miserere nobis, by one choir in Greek and by another in Latin.
More Rare Images: Good Friday with Pius XI in the Sistine Chapel 2009
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On Holy Thursday, the Agnus Dei is said as usual; the practice introduced in 1955, singing “miserere nobis” in place of “dona nobis pacem” as the third invocation, has been abolished.
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At the Agnus Dei, the words “dona nobis pacem” are no longer said as the third invocation, but rather “miserere nobis” is said a third time.
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Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Skin Deep Jerome Preisler 2010
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Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Skin Deep Jerome Preisler 2010
treeseed commented on the word miserere
Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin, be merciful, from misereri to be merciful, from miser wretched; from the first word of the Psalm
Date: 13th century
1capitalized : the 50th Psalm in the Vulgate
2: misericord
3: a vocal complaint or lament
excerpt from The Arsenal at Springfield by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"Ah! What a sound will rise, how wild and dreary,
When the death-angel touches those swift keys!
What loud lament and dismal miserere
Will mingle with their awful symphonies!"
February 24, 2008
bilby commented on the word miserere
Ah! what a sound will rise, how wild and dreary,
When the death-angel touches those swift keys!
What loud lament and dismal Miserere
Will mingle with their awful symphonies!
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 'The Arsenal At Springfield'.
September 16, 2009