/ ˈɒrətri; NAmE ˈɔːrətɔːri; ˈɑːr-/ noun ( pl. -ies )
1.
[ U ] the skill of making powerful and effective speeches in public
SYN rhetoric
2.
[ C ] a room or small building that is used for private prayer or worship
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WORD ORIGIN
sense 2 Middle English : from Anglo-Norman French oratorie , from ecclesiastical Latin oratorium , based on Latin orare pray, speak.
sense 1 early 16th cent.: from Latin oratoria , feminine (used as a noun) of oratorius relating to an orator.