prie-dieu

UK/pɹiːˈdjəː/

noun

A piece of furniture on which someone can pray, consisting of a cushioned area to kneel on, with a built-in ledge for books.

OriginFrench prie-Dieu →
First used 17th c.
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Meanings

nounprie-dieu (plural prie-dieus or prie-dieux)

plural prie-dieus · plural prie-dieux

  1. A piece of furniture on which someone can pray, consisting of a cushioned area to kneel on, with a built-in ledge for books.First known use 17th c.

    At her prie-dieu, she read in a calm voice the prayers for the dying.

    1992, Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety, Harper Perennial, published 2007, page 87
    2 more examples

    Leaning her childish face and full chin on the shelf of the prie-Dieu, her eyes fixed, she laughed, out of some hidden capacity, some lost subterranean humour [...].

    1936, Djuna Barnes, Nightwood, Faber & Faber, published 2007, page 42

    thinking to improve his hour, he took to kneeling at a prie-dieu and ventured upon some propitiatory prayers to the Virgin which might serve as a sort of scaffolding to the more important confession which was to follow.

    1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 772

Origin

  1. Frenchprie-Dieu
  2. Englishprie-dieu

From French prie-Dieu, from prie (“pray”) + Dieu (“God”).

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque belaunaulki
  • belaunaulkia piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Catalan reclinatori
  • reclinatoria piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Chinese Mandarin 小跪凳
  • 小跪凳 (xiǎoguìdèng)a piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Czech klekátko
  • klekátkoa piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Danish knæleskammel
  • knæleskammela piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Dutch kerkstoel, bidstoel
  • kerkstoela piece of furniture on which someone can pray
  • bidstoela piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Esperanto preĝbenko
  • preĝbenkoa piece of furniture on which someone can pray
French prie-Dieu
  • prie-Dieua piece of furniture on which someone can pray
German Betpult
  • Betpulta piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Hungarian imazsámoly, térdeplő
  • imazsámolya piece of furniture on which someone can pray
  • térdeplőa piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Irish stól urnaí
  • stól urnaía piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Italian inginocchiatoio
  • inginocchiatoioa piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Lithuanian klauptas
  • klauptasa piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Polish klęcznik
  • klęcznika piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Slovak kľačadlo
  • kľačadloa piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Spanish reclinatorio
  • reclinatorioa piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Swedish bönpall, bönestol
  • bönpalla piece of furniture on which someone can pray
  • bönestola piece of furniture on which someone can pray
Cite this entry
APA

prie-dieu. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prie-dieu

MLA

“prie-dieu.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prie-dieu. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “prie-dieu,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prie-dieu.

Source: prie-dieu on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.