/ah"vay meuh ree"euh/
1. ( italics. ) the first two words of the Latin version of a prayer in the Roman Catholic Church, based on the salutation of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary and the words of Elizabeth to her.
2. a recitation of this prayer.
3. the bead or beads on a rosary used to count off each prayer as spoken.
Also called Hail Mary .
[ 1200-50; ME; see AVE ]