rosary

rosary — noun

1. A rosary is a loop of beads that worshippers in certain faiths move through with

1.nounB1
Definition

A rosary is a loop of beads that worshippers in certain faiths move through with their fingers while reciting a fixed set of prayers. The word can also refer to the prayers themselves — especially the Catholic devotion known as the Rosary.

Example

Feng inherited his grandmother's rosary and keeps it in the box beside her photograph.

possessive + object: inherited + grandmother's rosary

During the funeral service, Chidi held a rosary and repeated each prayer under his breath.

collocation: hold a rosary + repeat a prayer

Common collocations
  • say the rosary
  • pray the rosary
  • finger the rosary beads
  • rosary bead
  • decade of the rosary
  • the Rosary prayer
Synonyms
  • prayer beads

    Generic term for any religion's counting beads; less specific than 'rosary'

  • mala

    Hindu or Buddhist string of beads, usually with 108 beads; a different tradition from the Catholic rosary

  • chaplet

    A smaller Catholic prayer bead set (typically one decade) or a shorter devotion; narrower in scope

Usage Note

When capitalised as 'the Rosary,' the word refers specifically to the traditional Catholic cycle of prayers. In Buddhist contexts, the beads are often called a 'mala' (माला) rather than a rosary.

Common Mistakes

She bought a rosary to wear as a fashion necklace.
She bought a rosary to use during daily prayer.
A rosary is a religious object, not a fashion accessory or piece of jewellery.

Word family

  • rosary bead
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all three words describe strings of beads used for counting prayers, they belong to different religious traditions and carry different scopes. 'Rosary' is the most specific term — it refers either to the Catholic prayer cycle (the Rosary) or to a string of beads used for that devotion. 'Prayer beads' is the broadest term, covering any religion's counting beads (Islamic tasbih, Buddhist mala, Hindu japa mala). 'Mala' (Sanskrit for 'garland') refers specifically to the 108-bead string used in Hindu and Buddhist meditation, usually for reciting mantras rather than the structured prayers of the Catholic Rosary. 'Chaplet' is a narrower Catholic term for a smaller devotion (e.g. the Divine Mercy Chaplet), often prayed on a shorter string of beads. For everyday conversation about Catholic practice, 'rosary' is the natural choice; for Buddhist practice, 'mala' is more accurate than 'rosary'; and for general reference, 'prayer beads' works across all traditions.

prayer beadsmalachaplet

Common collocations

Nouns

  • rosary beads
  • rosary prayer
  • rosary service
  • rosary ring
  • decade of the rosary

Phrases

  • say the rosary
  • pray the rosary
  • finger the rosary
  • recite the rosary
  • the Rosary devotion

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'rosary' comes from the Latin 'rosarium,' meaning 'rose garden.' In medieval Christian tradition, each prayer of the Rosary was imagined as a rose offered to the Virgin Mary, and the string of beads came to be called a 'rosary' — a spiritual rose garden. The term entered English through Old French 'rosaire' during the 15th century.