(initial capital letter) the evening star, esp. Venus; Hesper.
2.
Also called vesper bell.a bell rung at evening.
3.
vespers, (sometimes initial capital letter) Ecclesiastical.
a.
a religious service in the late afternoon or the evening.
b.
the sixth of the seven canonical hours, or the service for it, occurring in the late afternoon or the evening.
c.
Roman Catholic Church. a part of the office to be said in the evening by those in major orders, frequently made a public ceremony in the afternoons or evenings of Sundays and holy days.
of, pertaining to, appearing in, or proper to the evening.
6.
of or pertaining to vespers.
[Origin: 1350–1400; ME, partly < L: evening, evening star; partly < OF vespres evening service < ML vesperās, acc. pl. of L vespera, fem. var. of vesper; c. Gk hésperos; akin to west]
A worship service held in the late afternoon or evening in many Western Christian churches.
The time of day appointed for this service.
Evensong.
Roman Catholic Church A service held on Sundays or holy days that includes the office of vespers.
[Obsolete French vespres, from Old French, from Medieval Latin vesperās, evening service, from Latin, accusative pl. of vespera, evening, variant of vesper; see vesper.]
Ves"per\, n. [L., the evening, the evening star, the west; akin to Gr. ?, ?, and perhaps to E. west. Cf. Hesperian, Vespers.] The evening star; Hesper; Venus, when seen after sunset; hence, the evening. --Shak.
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