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| mat·ins [ mátt'nz ] |
noun |
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1. morning liturgy: in the Roman Catholic Church, the morning hours of the divine office
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2. morning prayer: in the Church of England, the ceremony of morning prayer
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3. hours before Vigil: in some Roman Catholic monastic communities, the hours before a vigil
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4. dawn chorus: a morning song, especially one sung by birds
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literary
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| [13th century. < French matines< Latin matutinus "of the morning" < Matuta "goddess of dawn"] |
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