What does "paternoster" mean?
The Lord's Prayer, especially in a Roman Catholic context.
Paternoster
/ˈpɑːtəˌnɒstə(ɹ)/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The Lord's Prayer, especially in a Roman Catholic context.
- Grammar: paternoster is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: agnus dei, aid prayer, alleluia, anamnesis.
- Usage evidence: The friar had said his paternosters duly
How to use "paternoster"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "paternoster" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "paternoster" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "paternoster" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The Lord's Prayer, especially in a Roman Catholic context.
"The friar had said his paternosters duly"
- 2 a type of lift having a chain of open compartments that move continually in an endless loop so that (agile) passengers can step on or off at each floor wordnet
- 3 A slow, continuously moving lift or elevator consisting of a loop of open-fronted cabins running the height of a building.
- 4 A bead-like ornament in mouldings.
- 5 A tackle rig with a heavy sinker at the end of the line, and one or more hooks on traces at right angles spaced above the sinker.
"A paternoster is any style of hook rig where the hook(s) are on droppers above a fixed sinker. One or two hooks are used on a paternoster rig. The droppers are tied using dropper loops tied directly in the line. The twisted dropper is an ideal knot as it stands out at right angles to the line."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A string of beads used in counting prayers that are said. archaic
- 7 Every eleventh bead in a rosary, at which, while counting the beads, the Lord's Prayer is to be repeated. archaic
"Holonyms: rosary; prayer beads"
- 8 A medieval artisan who crafted rosary beads or prayer nuts. archaic
- 9 A patent medicine, so named because salesmen would pray the Lord's Prayer over it before selling it. archaic
"Near-synonyms: nostrum, nostrum remedium"
Verb
- 1 To try to catch (fish, etc.) with a paternoster rig. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 Alternative form of paternoster (“Lord's Prayer”). alt-of, alternative
"If Burd Ellen had gone “widishins" round the church, she would, I think, have used the best homoeopathic specific against the Elf-King's power; for "to go widishins" was the chief element in elfin practices, and if mortals wished to resist or unspell elf-craft, they, too, had "to go widershins," or they had to repeat the Paternoster backwards, which came to the same thing, or do something else contrariwise."
- 2 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The friar had said his paternosters duly"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "paternoster"?
Common synonyms include: agnus dei, aid prayer, alleluia, anamnesis, angelus, appeal.
How do you use "paternoster" in a sentence?
The friar had said his paternosters duly
How do you pronounce "paternoster"?
Pronounced /ˈpɑːtəˌnɒstə(ɹ)/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English paternoster, pater noster, from Old English Paternoster, from Latin Pater noster (“our father”) (the first two words of the Oratio Dominica (“the Lord's prayer”)), from pater (“father”) + noster (“our”). The lift and the fishing equipment are named from their resemblance to a rosary.
Etymology 2
From Latin pater (“father”) + noster (“ours”).