15 September 2014

litany

[lit-n-ee]

noun, plural litanies.
1. a ceremonial or liturgical form of prayer consisting of a series of invocations or supplications with responses that are the same for a number in succession.
2. the Litany, the supplication in this form in the Book of Common Prayer.
3. a recitation or recital that resembles a litany.
4. a prolonged or tedious account:
We heard the whole litany of their complaints.

Origin
Late Latin, Late Greek

before 900; < Late Latin litanīa < Late Greek litaneía litany, Greek: an entreating, equivalent to litan- (stem of litaínein, variant of litaneúein to pray) + -eia -y3; replacing Middle English letanie, Old English letanīa < Medieval Latin, Late Latin, as above

Can be confused
litany, liturgy.

Synonyms

4. list, catalog, enumeration.
Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for litany

– Higher education faces a litany of challenges, and desperate measures are required.
– The litany of statistics is as deadening as it is depressing.
– Ask anyone about the activities they perform each a day and they’ll rattle off a litany of actions.

Anagram

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Today’s aphorism

How do we change the world? One act of random kindness at a time.

– from the movie, Evan Almighty

On this day

15 September – International Day of Democracy.

15 September 1254 – birth of Marco Polo, Italian explorer. Died 9 January 1324.