LITANY


Meaning of LITANY in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈli-tə-nē, ˈlit-nē ]

noun

( plural -nies )

Etymology: Middle English letanie, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French, from Late Latin litania, from Late Greek litaneia, from Greek, entreaty, from litanos suppliant

Date: 13th century

1. : a prayer consisting of a series of invocations and supplications by the leader with alternate responses by the congregation

2.

a. : a resonant or repetitive chant

a litany of cheering phrases — Herman Wouk

b. : a usually lengthy recitation or enumeration

a familiar litany of complaints

c. : a sizable series or set

a litany of problems

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.