Meanings
vespers1
- euphemisticuncountableA massacre
- pluralplural of vesper
Vespers2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe sixth of the seven canonical hours of the divine office; early evening; now often made a public service on Sundays
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Late Latinvesperus“evening”
- Ecclesiastical Latinvesperae“vespers”
- Old Frenchvespres
- Middle Englishvespers
- Englishvespers
From Middle English vespers, from Old French vespres (French vêpres), from Ecclesiastical Latin vesperae (“vespers”), substantivisation of relational Late Latin vesperus (“evening”), from vesper (“evening”) + -us. Euphemistic use first as Vèpres éphésiennes (“Ephesian Vespers”), coined in 1890 by historian Théodore Reinach by analogy with the Sicilian Vespers.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Ecclesiastical Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish vesper, iltahartaus
- vesperevening canonical hour
- iltahartausevening canonical hour
- iltajumalanpalvelus (Luth.)evening canonical hour
French vêpres, vêpres
- vêpresevening canonical hour
- vêpresA Christian service held in the late afternoon or early evening
German Vesper, Vesper
- Vesperevening canonical hour
- VesperA Christian service held in the late afternoon or early evening
Greek Εσπερινός
- Εσπερινός (Esperinós)evening canonical hour
Hungarian vecsernye, vesperás
- vecsernyeevening canonical hour
- vesperásevening canonical hour
Italian vespri, vespro
- vesprievening canonical hour
- vesproA Christian service held in the late afternoon or early evening
Latin vesperae
- vesperaeevening canonical hour
Polish nieszpory, nieszpory
- nieszporyevening canonical hour
- nieszporyA Christian service held in the late afternoon or early evening
Portuguese vésperas
- vésperasevening canonical hour
Russian вече́рня
- вече́рня (večérnja)evening canonical hour
Spanish vísperas
- vísperasA Christian service held in the late afternoon or early evening
Swedish vesper, vesper
- vesperevening canonical hour
- vesperA Christian service held in the late afternoon or early evening
Welsh gosber, gosber
- gosberevening canonical hour
- gosberA Christian service held in the late afternoon or early evening
Cite this entry
vespers. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vespers
“vespers.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vespers. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vespers,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vespers.
Source: vespers on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.