missal

noun

mis·​sal ˈmi-səl How to pronounce missal (audio)
: a book containing all that is said or sung at mass during the entire year

Examples of missal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Judge held out the missal. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2021 O’Brien put a small Catholic missal in her hands. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2021 All told, the missal numbered 309 pages in its original form. CBS News, 23 Sep. 2022 The pews have been stripped of hymn books and missals, and Holy Water basins are dry. Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje, ExpressNews.com, 19 May 2020 That same image recurs again at the bottom of a page from a German missal (before 1381) whose main image portrays the Resurrection. Judith H. Dobrzynski, WSJ, 15 June 2019 With his hand on the missal, Johnson took his oath with Jackie Kennedy by his side. Pete Corson, ajc, 8 June 2018 Staffers couldn't find a Bible but were able to get a missal (a book of Catholic prayers) from Kennedy's bedstand on the plane. Pete Corson, ajc, 8 June 2018 Through the language of the missal as well as through the posture and gestures of the priest at the altar, the traditional Latin Mass recalls Temple sacrifice, a type that prefigured the blood sacrifice on Calvary. Nicholas Frankovich, National Review, 21 Sep. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'missal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English messel, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French missal, messel, from Medieval Latin missale, from neuter of missalis of the mass, from Late Latin missa mass — more at mass

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of missal was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near missal

Cite this Entry

“Missal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/missal. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

missal

noun
mis·​sal ˈmis-əl How to pronounce missal (audio)
: a book containing the prayers to be said or sung in the Mass during the year

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