n. & v.
--n.
1. a song of praise, esp. to God in Christian worship, usu. a metrical composition sung in a religious service.
2 a song of praise in honour of a god or other exalted being or thing.
--v.
1. tr. praise or celebrate in hymns.
2 intr. sing hymns.
Phrases and idioms:
hymn-book a book of hymns.
Derivatives:
hymnic adj.
Etymology: ME ymne etc. f. OF ymne f. L hymnus f. Gk humnos