breviary

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Ecclesiastical A book containing the hymns, offices, and prayers for the canonical hours.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. An abridgment; a compend; an epitome.
2. n. In the Roman Catholic Church, a book containing the daily offices which all who are in major orders are bound to read. It consists of prayers or offices to be used at the canonical hours, and is an abridgment of the services of the early church, which from their great length were exhausting. It is made up largely of the Psalms, passages of the Old and New Testaments and the fathers, hymns, anthems, etc., all in Latin, arranged for the various seasons and festivals of the church. A similar book, known as a portiforium or portass, was in use in England before the Reformation. The Order for Morning and Evening Prayer in the English Book of Common Prayer is mainly a translation and condensation from the breviary according to the use of Sarum. Besides the Roman breviary, which is in most common use, there are also others of various arrangement, either of certain religious orders or local, often of historical interest.
3. n. A name given to similar compilations used in the Greek and Oriental churches.

Wiktionary

1. n. A book containing prayers, hymns, and so on for everyday use at the canonical hours.
2. n. obsolete A brief statement or summary.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. An abridgment; a compend; an epitome; a brief account or summary.
2. n. A book containing the daily public or canonical prayers of the Roman Catholic or of the Greek Church for the seven canonical hours, namely, matins and lauds, the first, third, sixth, and ninth hours, vespers, and compline; -- distinguished from the missal.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. (Roman Catholic Church) a book of prayers to be recited daily certain priests and members of religious orders