| 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. |
A·ve Ma·ri·a (ä'vā mə-rē'ə) n. Roman Catholic Church See Hail Mary. [Middle English, from Medieval Latin Avē Maria.] |