prie-dieu

views updated May 14 2018

prie-dieu / prē ˈdyə(r); -ˈdyœ/ • n. (pl. prie-dieux / ˈdyə(r)(z); -ˈdyœ(z)/ ) a piece of furniture for use during prayer, consisting of a kneeling surface and a narrow upright front with a rest for the elbows or for books.

prie-dieu

views updated May 23 2018

prie-dieu a piece of furniture for use during prayer, consisting of a kneeling surface and a narrow upright front with a rest for the elbows or for books. Recorded from the mid 18th century, the phrase is French and means literally ‘pray God’.