First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1oratory
noun or·a·to·ry \ˈȯr-ə-ˌtȯr-ē, ˈär-\
plural or·a·to·ries
Definition of ORATORY
1
: a place of prayer; especially : a private or institutional chapel
2
capitalized : an Oratorian congregation, house, or church
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Origin of ORATORY
Middle English oratorie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin oratorium, from Latin orare
Rhymes with ORATORY
a priori, allegory, amatory, auditory, bedtime story, cacciatore, castratory, category, con amore, cover story, crematory, damnatory, decretory, dilatory, dormitory, excretory, expletory, feudatory, fumitory, Göteborg, gustatory, gyratory, horror story, hortatory, hunky-dory, inventory, laudatory, lavatory, mandatory, migratory, minatory, monitory, Montessori, morning glory, nugatory, offertory, overstory, piscatory, precatory, predatory, prefatory, probatory, promissory, promontory, purgatory, repertory, Ruwenzori, signatory, statutory, sudatory, territory, transitory, understory, vibratory, vomitory, yakitori
2oratory
noun
Definition of ORATORY
1
: the art of speaking in public eloquently or effectively
2
a : public speaking that employs oratory b : public speaking that is characterized by the use of stock phrases and that appeals chiefly to the emotions
Origin of ORATORY
Latin oratoria, from feminine of oratorius oratorical, from orare
First Known Use: 1594
ORATORY Defined for Kids
oratory
noun or·a·to·ry \ˈȯr-ə-ˌtȯr-ē\
Definition of ORATORY for Kids
1
: the art of making speeches
2
: the style of language used in important speeches
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