Dictionary

Agnus Dei en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌɑːnjus ˈdeɪ.i/
• /ˌæɡnəs ˈdeɪ.i/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Agnus Deī (“Lamb of God”).

Meanings

1. A liturgical chant recited as part of the Mass, beginning with those words, or the music to which it is set.
2. A small model, picture, or heraldic representation of a lamb with a cross and sometimes a flag (usually white with a red cross).
3. A bar of wax imprinted with a similar shape and blessed by the Pope.
   • Matilda continued her incantations; at intervals she took various items from the basket, the nature and name of most of which were unknown to the friar: but among the few which he distinguished, he particularly observed three human fingers, and an agnus dei, which she broke in pieces. 1796, Matthew Lewis, The Monk, Folio Society, published 1985, page 194:
   • The most common of these amulets was the agnus dei, a small wax cake, originally made out of paschal candles and blessed by the Pope, bearing the image of the lamb and flag. 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 28:

Forms

Relateds

Lamb of God

Translations (21)

cmn 天主羔羊 (part of the Mass; music to which it is set) · el ο αμνός του Θεού (model or picture of a lamb with a cross) · ca agnus-dei (part of the Mass; music to which it is set) · sv gudslamm (model or picture of a lamb with a cross) · es Cordero de Dios (model or picture of a lamb with a cross) · cmn 上帝羔羊 (model or picture of a lamb with a cross) · id Agnus Dei (part of the Mass; music to which it is set) · pl Baranek Boży (part of the Mass; music to which it is set) · gl año de Deus (part of the Mass; music to which it is set) · pt agnus dei (part of the Mass; music to which it is set) · gl año de Deus (model or picture of a lamb with a cross) · fi Jumalan Karitsa (model or picture of a lamb with a cross) · da agnus dei (part of the Mass; music to which it is set) · tl Kordero ng Diyos (part of the Mass; music to which it is set) · ru а́гнец бо́жий (model or picture of a lamb with a cross) · ru а́гнец бо́жий (part of the Mass; music to which it is set) · ca agnus-dei (model or picture of a lamb with a cross) · pl Baranek Boży (model or picture of a lamb with a cross) · sv Agnus Dei (model or picture of a lamb with a cross) · da gudslam (model or picture of a lamb with a cross) · fi Jumalan Karitsa (part of the Mass; music to which it is set)