canticle

Everyday

1. (church) A song or hymn with words from the Bible, sung in church services, such as the Magnificat. tree →
2. (literary) A song of praise. tree →

In the lessons

Met in church life and choir: canticles are sung at morning and evening prayer. It tells the reader about a holy song of praise. Phrases: the canticle of Mary, sing the canticles.

Examples

• The choir sang a canticle at evening prayer. tree →
• The Magnificat is the canticle of Mary. tree →
• We learned a canticle for the Christmas service. tree →
• The monks sang canticles before dawn. tree →
• A canticle is like a psalm sung in church. tree →
• The organist played softly before the canticle. tree →
• St Francis wrote the Canticle of the Sun. tree →

Note

Countable: canticles. A church word; similar: hymn, psalm, chant. A psalm comes from the Book of Psalms; a canticle comes from other parts of the Bible.