Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A space of three days.
  • noun In the Roman Catholic Church, prayers for the space of three days as a preparation for keeping a saint's day, or for obtaining some favor of God by means of the prayers of a saint.

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

  • noun A period of three days (especially in Roman Catholic liturgy).

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin triduum, from Latin tres ("three") (from Ancient Greek τρία (tria)) + dies ("day").

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Examples

  • The triduum, the three holiest days of the Christian year, begin on Maundy Thursday evening, and conclude with the Easter Vigil, which begins at sundown on Saturday evening -- the days being reckoned in the church's original way of reckoning: the Jewish calendar.

    Good Friday: Stabat mater dolorosa Dan 2008

  • Tomorrow morning, before entering the Easter triduum, but very closely tied to it, the "Messa Crismale" will take place in every diocese during which the bishop and priests of the diocese renew their promises made at ordination.

    Archive 2008-03-16 papabear 2008

  • Each year during the "holy triduum of Christ's crucifixion, death and resurrection," as St. Augustine calls it, the Church goes back over the final stages of Christ's life on earth in a climate of prayer and penitence: his being condemned to death, his journey to Calvary carrying the cross, the sacrifice he made for our salvation, and laying his body to rest.

    Archive 2008-03-30 papabear 2008

  • Amphiaraus and his fellows, those Egyptians, still enjoin long fasting before he would give any oracles, triduum a cibo et vino abstinerent, [6475] before they gave any answers, as

    Anatomy of Melancholy 2007

  • Curtius relates, triduum jacuit ad moriendum obstinatus, lay three days together upon the ground, obstinate, to die with him, and would neither eat, drink, nor sleep.

    Anatomy of Melancholy 2007

  • For the triduum of Saturnalia his goatservant had paraded hiz willingsons in the Forum while the jenny infanted the lass to be greeted raucously (the Yardstat-ed) with houx and epheus and measured with missiles too from

    Finnegans Wake 2006

  • But today is in effect the begining of the triduum for the feast of Pentecost.

    Into great silence. . . . 2006

  • There is still time to double - or triple-up on the readings and make it a quintena or a triduum. posted by John at 9: 55 PM

    08/01/2003 - 09/01/2003 John 2003

  • On the way to lunch we checked the surf again, noted that the sea birds are on their way north from the Bolsa Chica refuge, and sang as much of the triduum "Lamentations" as we could remember.

    04/01/2003 - 05/01/2003 John 2003

  • He and his companions reached land three days (_post triduum_) after they left the coast of Ireland, so that our choice lies between Britain and Gaul.

    Bolougne-Sur-Mer St. Patrick's Native Town William Fleming

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