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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Pray \Pray\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Prayed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Praying}.] [OE. preien, OF. preier, F. prier, L. precari,
fr. prex, precis, a prayer, a request; akin to Skr. prach to
ask, AS. frignan, fr[imac]nan, fricgan, G. fragen, Goth.
fra['i]hnan. Cf. {Deprecate}, {Imprecate}, {Precarious}.]
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.
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And to his goddess pitously he preyde. --Chaucer.
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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.
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{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.
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I pray, sir. why am I beaten? --Shak.
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Syn: To entreat; supplicate; beg; implore; invoke; beseech;
petition.
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Praying \Pray"ing\,
a. & n. from {Pray}, v.
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{Praying insect}, {Praying locust}, or {Praying mantis}
(Zool.), 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.
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