ave

views updated May 18 2018

ave Latin greeting, meaning ‘hail, be well’. According to Suetonius' Lives of the Caesars, gladiators in the arena saluted the Roman emperor with the words, ‘Ave Caesar, morituri te salutant [Hail Caesar, those who are about to die salute you].’
Ave atque vale Latin for ‘hail and farewell!’
Ave Maria a Latin prayer to the Virgin Mary used in Catholic worship. The first line is adapted from Luke 1:28; the second was added in the Middle Ages. The name comes from the opening words, literally ‘hail, Mary!’