Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Plural form of pater.

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word paters.

Examples

  • About two "paters" later, there appeared at the border a Zmudzian, riding upon a little shaggy pony, whose hoofs were enveloped in sheepskin to avoid the clatter and traces of horses 'hoofs in the mud.

    The Knights of the Cross or, Krzyzacy Henryk Sienkiewicz 1881

  • He had said multitudinous "paters" and "aves," had repeated "Hail Marys" by the score -- all the while half thinking of something else; but never once in his inmost soul had he said to the Lord -- "Saviour, I am weak; make me strong."

    All's Well Alice's Victory Emily Sarah Holt 1864

  • Posner only wants to use the term to describe cases where “government wishes override the informed preferences of competent adults,” which seems a little odd insofar as that would leave it inapplicable to actual paters.

    That Word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means 2007

  • The Abbot Ambrosius, he recollected, understood the weakness of their Popish cause better, when he enjoined him to repeat within his own mind, aves, and credos, and paters, all the while old Henry Warden preached or lectured, that so he might secure himself against lending even

    The Abbot 2008

  • Pregnant women are to say, for their happy delivery, nine paters and nine aves for the benefit of the souls in purgatory, in order that their children may have the happiness of receiving the holy sacrament of baptism.

    A Philosophical Dictionary 2007

  • Had you engaged the maters and paters in friendly conversation, you'd probably have been welcomed.

    The County Nets Laban 2005

  • Many realize that a series of beads used to count one's aves and paters eventually became organized to become the original 150 aves emulating the 150 psalms.

    Adaptation and the needs of the faithful. Terry Nelson 2006

  • Many realize that a series of beads used to count one's aves and paters eventually became organized to become the original 150 aves emulating the 150 psalms.

    Archive 2006-10-08 Terry Nelson 2006

  • Terry - This is another reason I suspicious about Medjugorje - Our Lady gave way too many specifics to be done by the faithful, fasting 2 days a week, a certain amount of paters and aves, all the mysteries of the rosary daily - that's a big menu - one cannot be holier than the Church.

    The problem of empathy Terry Nelson 2006

  • I serve the duty of my chapel duly and truly — Two masses daily, morning and evening, primes, noons, and vespers, aves, credos, paters — “Excepting moonlight nights, when the venison is in season,” said his guest.

    Ivanhoe 2004

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.