Sanctus
name
name ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Proper Noun
- 1 Alternative letter-case form of Sanctus. alt-of
"Egypt, however, developed its own unique supplicatory use of the sanctus."
- 2 A prayer in Christian liturgy, beginning “Holy, holy, holy …” and typically said or sung as a hymn shortly before the anaphora.
Example
More examples"Egypt, however, developed its own unique supplicatory use of the sanctus."
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin sānctus (“holy”), the opening word of the prayer in that language. The prayer is taken from Isaiah 6:3 and Matthew 21:9. Doublet of saint.
Related phrases
More for "sanctus"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.