PRAYING

Adjective

praying (not comparable)

Of or pertaining to praying.

In which people may or do pray.

Noun

praying (plural prayings)

An act of saying a prayer.

Verb

praying

present participle of pray

Source: Wiktionary

Pray"ing,

Definition: a. & n. from Pray, v. Praying insect, locust, or mantis (Zoöl.), a mantis, especially Mantis religiosa. See Mantis.

– Praying machine, or Praying wheel, a wheel on which prayers are pasted by Buddhist priests, who then put the wheel in rapid revolution. Each turn in supposed to have the efficacy of an oral repetition of all the prayers on the wheel. Sometimes it is moved by a stream.

PRAY

Pray, n. & v.

Definition: See Pry. [Obs.] Spenser.

Pray, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Prayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Praying.] Etym: [OE. preien, OF. preier, F. prier, L. precari, fr. prex, precis, a prayer, a request; akin to Skr. prach to ask, AS. frignan, frinan, fricgan, G. fragen, Goth. fraíhnan. Cf. Deprecate, Imprecate, Precarious.]

Definition: To make request with earnestness or zeal, as for something desired; to make entreaty or supplication; to offer prayer to a deity or divine being as a religious act; specifically, to address the Supreme Being with adoration, confession, supplication, and thanksgiving. And to his goddess pitously he preyde. Chaucer. When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matt. vi. 6. I pray, or (by ellipsis) Pray, I beg; I request; I entreat you; -- used in asking a question, making a request, introducing a petition, etc.; as, Pray, allow me to go. I pray, sir. why am I beaten Shak.

Syn.

– To entreat; supplicate; beg; implore; invoke; beseech; petition.

Pray, v. t.

1. To address earnest request to; to supplicate; to entreat; to implore; to beseech. And as this earl was preyed, so did he. Chaucer. We pray you . . . by ye reconciled to God. 2 Cor. v. 20.

2. To ask earnestly for; to seek to obtain by supplication; to entreat for. I know not how to pray your patience. Shak.

3. To effect or accomplish by praying; as, to pray a soul out of purgatory. Milman. To pray in aid. (Law) (a) To call in as a helper one who has an interest in the cause. Bacon. (b) A phrase often used to signify claiming the benefit of an argument. See under Aid. Mozley & W.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition