/roh"zeuh ree/ , n. , pl. rosaries .
1. Rom. Cath. Ch.
a. a series of prayers, usually consisting of 15 decades of aves, each decade being preceded by a paternoster and followed by a Gloria Patri, one of the mysteries or events in the life of Christ or the Virgin Mary being recalled at each decade.
b. a string of beads used for counting these prayers during their recitation.
c. a similar string of beads consisting of five decades.
2. (among other religious bodies) a string of beads similarly used in praying.
3. a rose garden or a bed of roses.
[ 1350-1400 for earlier sense; 1400-50 for sense "rose garden"; 1540-50 for def. 1; ME rosarie rosarium, in all current senses, L: rose garden, equiv. to ros ( a ) ROSE 1 + -arium -ARY ]