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# prayer

«prayer» in Mova's school dictionary: **words that someone says to God or a god, to thank, praise…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a prayer, prayers)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A prayer is words that someone says to God or a god, to thank, praise or ask for help. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prayer/#m1)

2) Prayer is the act of praying. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prayer/#m2)

3) «Not have a prayer» means to have no chance at all. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prayer/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In religious education children learn that many faiths use prayer: Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and others. Prayers can be said aloud, sung, or thought silently, at home, at school assemblies or in places of worship. In stories a prayer shows hope or fear. Phrases: say a prayer, a prayer for, in prayer, morning prayers, the answer to my prayers.

### examples

- Grandpa says a prayer before every meal. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prayer/#x1)
- The family bowed their heads in prayer. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prayer/#x2)
- Muslims say prayers five times a day. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prayer/#x3)
- We sang a prayer at assembly. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prayer/#x4)
- The rain was the answer to the farmers' prayers. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prayer/#x5)
- With that old bike, he doesn't have a prayer of winning. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prayer/#x6)
- Little Gerda repeated the Lord's Prayer. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prayer/#x7)

### note

Countable: a prayer, prayers; also uncountable for the activity: «in prayer». Pronounced like «prair», one syllable. The verb is «pray» — do not confuse with «prey» (an animal hunted by another), which sounds the same.

### In the corpora

- [If a family says grace (a short prayer of thanks) before eating, you wait quietly until they finish.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/128-guest-at-the-table-and-the-phone/6/)
- [The priest said he was forgiven, gave him a short prayer as penance, and asked him to put the coin back.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/364-giggles-sunday-school-and-the-collection-plate/3/)
- [In confession a person tells their sins honestly to a priest, who gives absolution and usually a small penance, like a prayer.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/364-giggles-sunday-school-and-the-collection-plate/20/)
- [Giggling during prayers can disturb people who are praying around you.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/364-giggles-sunday-school-and-the-collection-plate/24/)
- [Prayer is a quiet talk with God, not a box to tick.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/365-confession-prayer-and-making-amends-at-church/26/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «prayer» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/prayer/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.