litany

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A liturgical prayer consisting of a series of petitions recited by a leader alternating with fixed responses by the congregation.
2. n. A repetitive or incantatory recital: "the litany of layoffs in recent months by corporate giants” ( Sylvia Nasar).

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Primarily, a solemn prayer of supplication; a public or general supplication to God, especially in processions.
2. n. Specifically, in liturgics, an appointed form of responsive prayer, used as part of a service or separately. The most important varieties have been the following: Liturgical or missal litanies, found in theoldest liturgies or eucharistic offices, especially in the introductory division. Such are the synapte and ectene of the Oriental forms, consisting of a series of brief clauses, mostly beginning “In behalf of,” then naming the person or thing prayed for, and concluding “let us beseech the Lord,” with the response Kyrie eleïson. There were originally five such litanies in the liturgy: the initial diaconica or irenica (the Western Kyrie, pacificæ, and collect), the ectene after the Gospel, the litany after the offertory, that following the great intercession by the priest after consecration, and a closing litany after communion. In the West such litanies were in use for many centuries, but they have not been retained in the Roman Church, which has, however, versicles before the introit and the Kyrie after it.
3. n. Hence Any earnest supplication or prayer.
4. n. The same petitions with the following versicles or prayers and responses in the litany in the English Book of Common Prayer, allowed to be omitted at discretion in the American Book.
5. n. The same petitions with the following versicles and responses in the Orders for Morning and Evening Prayer.

Wiktionary

1. n. A ritual liturgical prayer in which a series of prayers recited by a leader are alternated with responses from the congregation.
2. n. A prolonged or tedious account.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A solemn form of supplication in the public worship of various churches, in which the clergy and congregation join, the former leading and the latter responding in alternate sentences. It is usually of a penitential character.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a prayer consisting of a series of invocations by the priest with responses from the congregation
2. n. any long and tedious address or recital