Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.
| adhan azan | the Muslim call to prayer, made five times a day by a muezzin. |
| angelus | a prayer said in morning, at noon and at sunset > ANGELUSES. |
| antiphon | an anthem sung as a response during church service. |
| ave | a recitation of the prayer to the Virgin Mary. |
| azan | see ADHAN. |
| bede | a prayer. |
| bene | a prayer, a boon. |
| benedictus | a short canticle beginning 'Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini' in Latin and 'Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord' in English > BENEDICTUSES. |
| benison | a blessing, a benediction. |
| bhajan | a Hindu religious song. |
| brachah brocho | a Jewish blessing. |
| cantate | the 98th Psalm, from its opening words. |
| canticle | a non-metrical hymn, esp one used in a church service, such as the Magnificat. |
| canticum | a canticle, a part-song in an ancient play > CANTICUMS. |
| cantoris | to be sung on the cantorial or north side of a choir, as opposed to DECANI. |
| cantus | a melody or chant, esp. in mediaeval ecclesiastical music > CANTUSES. |
| carol | to sing carols > CAROLS, CAROLING or CAROLLING, CAROLED or CAROLLED. |
| cathisma | a short hymn used as response > CATHISMAS. [Gk. kathizein, to sit down]. |
| confiteor | a prayer of confession of sins. |
| daimoku | a Nichiren Buddhist chant > DAIMOKUS. |
| darshan | a blessing conferred by touching or seeing a holy person. |
| daven doven | to utter Jewish prayers. |
| dirige | a dirge. |
| doven | see DAVEN. |
| doxological | having the nature of a DOXOLOGY. |
| doxology | a usually short hymn of praise to God, e.g. the Gloria in Excelsis. |
| epiclesis | the act of calling on the Holy Spirit to consecrate the Eucharist > EPICLESES. |
| euchologion | a formulary of prayers, esp. that of the Greek Church > EUCHOLOGIA. |
| euchology | a formulary of prayers, esp. that of the Greek Church. |
| euouae evovae | a Gregorian cadence > EUOUAES, EVOVAES. [From the vowels in 'seculorum Amen' heard in the doxology 'Gloria Patri']. |
| gospelly | like gospel music. |
| hallel | a Jewish holiday prayer of thanks-giving Psalms. |
| habdalah havdalah havdoloh | a Jewish ceremony or prayer that marks the end of the Sabbath. |
| hymn | a song of praise, esp to God, but also to a nation, etc.; (verb) to sing a hymn |
| hymnic | relating to hymns, or sacred lyrics. |
| hymnless | without hymns. |
| hymnodical | relating to a HYMNODY. |
| hymnody | hymns collectively; hymn-singing. |
| hymnologic | relating to HYMNOLOGY. |
| hymnology | the study of hymns. |
| introit | a psalm or hymn chanted at approach to altar of celebrant priest; the first part of the Roman Catholic Mass. |
| introital | relating to an INTROIT, the first part of the Roman Catholic Mass. |
| invitatory | a psalm or anthem sung before prayer during church service. |
| isodicon | in the Greek Church, a TROPARION or short anthem sung while the gospel is being carried through the church > ISODICA. |
| kaddish | a Jewish prayer recited daily and by mourners > KADDISHIM or KADDISHES. |
| khotbah khotbeh khutbah | an address or public prayer read from the steps of the pulpit in Mohammedan mosques. |
| kiddush | a ceremony of prayer and blessing over wine, performed by the head of a Jewish household at the meal ushering in the Sabbath > KIDDUSHES. [Hebrew qiddush, sanctification]. |
| kyrie | a religious petition for mercy. |
| litany | a type of prayer in which a series of lines are spoken alternately by a leader and a congregation. |
| liturgic | pertaining to, of or the nature of, a liturgy > LITURGICS. |
| liturgical | pertaining to, of or the nature of, a LITURGY > LITURGICALLY. |
| liturgism | the study of LITURGICAL forms. |
| liturgy | the rite of the Eucharist; an order of public service. [Gk. leitourgia]. |
| magnificat | a CANTICLE in praise of the Virgin Mary. |
| matin mattin | a morning prayer service. |
| maximus | a method rung on twelve bells > MAXIMUSES. |
| minyan | the minimum number of people required by Jewish law to be present for a religious service to be held i.e. ten male adults > MINYANS or MINYANIM. |
| miserere | the psalm usually appointed for penitential acts, being the 50th psalm in the Latin version. [Lat. 2nd person sing. imp. of misereri to have mercy, to pity, from miser, wretched. The hymn starts with this word]. |
| noel | a Christmas CAROL. |
| nones | a prayer service held at 3 p.m. |
| orison | a short prayer. |
| outpray | to exceed or excel in prayer. |
| paean | a song of thanksgiving. [L. from Gk. Paian, physician to the gods. The earliest musical paeans were hymns of thanksgiving and praise that were dedicated to Apollo; the word then became generalised]. |
| paeanism | the chanting of a PAEAN. |
| paternoster | the Lord's Prayer, or a recital of it. |
| pernoctate | to pass the night in vigil or prayer. |
| plainchant plainsong | unmeasured, unaccompanied music sung in unison in ecclesiastical modes from early times. |
| pooja poojah puja pujah | a Hindu act of worship or prayer. |
| postlude | a closing piece of music; especially an organ voluntary at the end of a church service. |
| prayerful | given to prayer > PRAYERFULLY. |
| prayerless | not using prayer; habitually neglecting prayer to God. |
| preces | prayers, esp in preces and responses. |
| psalm | a hymn or religious song; (verb) to sing psalms. |
| psalmic | of or pertaining to a psalm. |
| psalmodic psalmodical | relating to a PSALMODY. |
| psalmodise psalmodize | to practice psalmody. |
| psalmody | the act of singing psalms in church services. |
| psalter | the Book of Psalms, a musical setting for this, or selection from it. |
| psalterian | relating to a PSALTER. |
| puja | see POOJA. |
| pujah | see POOJA. |
| qawwali | a form of devotional Sufi music > QAWWALIS. |
| requiem | a lament or mass for the dead. |
| requiescat | a prayer for the dead. |
| responsory | a set of responses sung or said after liturgical reading. |
| shahada shahadah | the Islamic declaration of faith, repeated daily. |
| sticheron | a short hymn > STICHERA. |
| synapte | in the Greek church, a litany. |
| tasbih | a form of Islamic prayer that involves the repetitive utterances of short sentences glorifying God. |
| tersanctus | the hymn beginning Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, which forms the conclusion of the Eucharistic preface > TERSANCTUSES. |
| tractus | a psalm sung instead of the Alleluia in Lent > TRACTUSES. |
| trisagion | an ancient hymn consisting of the words 'O Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us'; loosely, the Tersanctus > TRISAGIONS. |
| troparion | in the Greek Church, a stanza or short hymn > TROPARIA. |
| unpray | to revoke or annul by prayer, as something previously prayed for. |
| venite | the 95th psalm. |
| vesperal | an office-book containing the psalms, canticles, anthems, etc., with their musical settings, used at vespers. |
| versicle | a short verse in church service normally followed by response. |