miserere

noun

mi·se·re·re ˌmi-zə-ˈrir-ē

-ˈrer-;

ˌmē-zə-ˈrā-(ˌ)rā

capitalized : the 50th Psalm in the Vulgate

: misericord

: a vocal complaint or lament

an essay that is essentially a long miserere about the decline of good manners in our society

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin, be merciful, from misereri to be merciful, from miser wretched; from the first word of the Psalm

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of miserere was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Style

“Miserere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/miserere. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Get Word of the Day daily email!