litany

The definition of a litany is a long and tedious list.

(noun)

When a person lists all the things that are wrong with his house, this is an example of a litany of complaints about his house.

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See litany in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun pl. litanies

  1. a series of fixed invocations and responses, used as a prayer
  2. any dreary or repetitive recital or account

Origin: ME letanie < OFr < LL(Ec) litania < Gr(Ec) litaneia < Gr litanos, pleading < litē, a request

See litany in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. lit·a·nies
  1. A liturgical prayer consisting of a series of petitions recited by a leader alternating with fixed responses by the congregation.
  2. A repetitive or incantatory recital: “the litany of layoffs in recent months by corporate giants” (Sylvia Nasar).

Origin:

Origin: Middle English letanie

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Medieval Latin letanīa

Origin: , from Late Latin litanīa

Origin: , from Late Greek litaneia

Origin: , from Greek, entreaty

Origin: , from litaneuein, to entreat

Origin: , from litanos, entreating

Origin: , from litē, supplication

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