a ceremonial or liturgical form of prayer consisting of a series of invocations or supplications with responses that are the same for a number in succession.
2.
the Litany, the supplication in this form in the Book of Common Prayer.
3.
a recitation or recital that resembles a litany.
4.
a prolonged or tedious account: We heard the whole litany of their complaints.
Origin: bef. 900; < LL litanīa < LGk litaneía litany, Gk: an entreating, equiv. to litan- (s. of litaínein, var. of litaneúein to pray) + -eia-y3; r. ME letanie, OE letanīa < ML, LL, as above
A liturgical prayer consisting of a series of petitions recited by a leader alternating with fixed responses by the congregation.
A repetitive or incantatory recital: "the litany of layoffs in recent months by corporate giants"(Sylvia Nasar).
[Middle English letanie, from Old French, from Medieval Latin letanīa, from Late Latin litanīa, from Late Greek litaneia, from Greek, entreaty, from litaneuein, to entreat, from litanos, entreating, from litē, supplication.]
[lit-n-ee] 
