invocation

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The act or an instance of invoking, especially an appeal to a higher power for assistance.
2. n. A prayer or other formula used in invoking, as at the opening of a religious service.
3. n. The act of conjuring up a spirit by incantation.
4. n. An incantation used in conjuring.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The act of invoking or calling in prayer; the form or act of summoning or inviting presence or aid: as, invocation of the Muses.
2. n. In law, a judicial call, demand, or order: as, the invocation of papers or evidence into a court.
3. n. Eccles.: An invoking of the blessing of God upon any undertaking; especially, an opening prayer in a public service invoking divine blessing upon it; specifically, the words “In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen,” “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen,” used at the beginning of the Roman mass, before sermons in many Anglican churches, and on other occasions.
4. n. The third part of the prayer of consecration in the communion office of the American Book of Common Prayer, in the Scottish office of 1764 (from which that prayer is derived), and in the Nonjurors' office of 1718, on which, as well as on earlier Scottish and English offices and ancient Oriental liturgies, the Scottish office of 1764 is based. It follows the institution and the oblation, and invokes God the Father to send down the Holy Spirit on the eucharistic elements and on the communicants. A similar form of invocation (epiclesis), on which this is modeled, is found in the same sequence in almost all the more important primitive liturgies, and some authorities claim that it was originally universal. It is wanting, however, in the Roman Missal and in the present English Book of Common Prayer. In the first Prayer-book (1549) the invocation preceded the institution.
5. n. In the Roman Catholic and Anglican litanies, one of the petitions addressed to God in each person and in Trinity, and to the saints. The invocations are the first of the four main divisions of petitions in these litanies, the others being deprecations (with obsecrations), intercessions, and supplications. The response to the invocations addressed to God is “Miserere nobis,” “Have mercy upon us,” to which the Anglican Prayer-book adds “miserable sinners.” The response to the invocations addressed to saints is “Ora (or Orate) pro nobis” (“Pray for us”). The invocations to saints are omitted in the Anglican litany.

Wiktionary

1. n. The act or form of calling for the assistance or presence of some superior being; earnest and solemn entreaty; esp., prayer offered to a divine being.
2. n. A call or summons; especially, a judicial call, demand, or order; as, the invocation of papers or evidence into court.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The act or form of calling for the assistance or presence of some superior being; earnest and solemn entreaty; esp., prayer offered to a divine being.
2. n. (Law) A call or summons; especially, a judicial call, demand, or order.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. calling up a spirit or devil
2. n. the act of appealing for help
3. n. a prayer asking God's help as part of a religious service
4. n. an incantation used in conjuring or summoning a devil