Meanings
plural Salve Reginas
- CatholicismA hymn to the Virgin Mary, one of the Marian antiphons, also prayed as part of the rosary.
The fifth remark is, that any person who cannot read or hear the Novena read, can make it by saying every day five Salve Reginas and five Ave Marias, saying first an act of contrition, and observing as far as possible the directions here given.
1852, A Novena in Honour of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel […], page 7Synonyms: Hail Holy Queen
- entertainmentA musical setting of this hymn.
I have often been scolded for this by Reutter, and especially when I composed a Salve Regina for twelve voices.
1884, Franz von Seeburg, translated by J. M. Toohey, Joseph Haydn: The Story of His Life, page 40
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA hymn to the Virgin Mary, one of the Marian antiphons, also prayed as part of the rosary.
Origin
- Latinsalvē rēgīna“hail, queen”
- EnglishSalve Regina
Learned borrowing from Latin salvē rēgīna (“hail, queen”), the opening of the prayer in that language.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Portuguese salve-rainha
- salve-rainhahymn to the Virgin Mary
Tagalog Aba Po, Santa Mariang Hari
- Aba Po, Santa Mariang Harihymn to the Virgin Mary
Cite this entry
Salve Regina. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Salve%20Regina
“Salve Regina.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Salve%20Regina. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Salve Regina,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Salve%20Regina.
Source: Salve Regina on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.