prayer

Etymology 1

From Middle English preiere, from Old French preiere, from Early Medieval Latin precāria, derived from Latin precem. Displaced native Old English ġebed.

noun

1. (uncountable) A practice of communicating with one's God, or with some spiritual entity.
   Through prayer I ask for God's guidance.
   In many cultures, prayer involves singing.
2. (countable) An act of praying.
   In that spirit, we’ll close with the wish we always offer at the end of our annual review, although this time it’s more of a prayer: Happy new year. 2020 December, Dave Barry, Year in review
3. The specific words or methods used for praying.
   Christians recite the Lord's Prayer.
   For Baha'is there's a difference between obligatory and devotional prayer.
4. A meeting held for the express purpose of praying.
   Grandpa never misses a chance to go to prayer.
5. (countable) A request; a petition.
   This, your honor, is my prayer; that all here be set free.
6. (in the singular, mostly in negative constructions) The remotest hope or chance.
   That team doesn't have a prayer of winning the championship.

Etymology 2

table pray + -er.

noun

1. One who prays.
   If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar / A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer… 1974, Shel Silverstein, “Invitation”, in Where the Sidewalk Ends, Harper Collins Publishers
   Out of the 37 respondents, seven are infrequent prayers who prefer to leave the precise details of their prayer life ambiguous. 2012, Paul O'Connor, Islam in Hong Kong: Muslims and Everyday Life in China's World City