## Meanings
1. Words spoken to a god to give thanks or ask for help.
2. The act or practice of speaking to a god.
3. A very small chance or hope of success.

## Examples
- She said a quiet prayer before the meal.
- The faithful knelt down in prayer.
- That team doesn't have a prayer of winning the championship.

## Synonyms
- bead
- orison
- precation

## Derived Forms
- antiprayer
- prayer-monger
- prayerful
- prayerhouse
- prayerish
- prayerless
- prayerlike
- prayersome
- prayerwise
- preprayer

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *preḱ-
- Root: preiere
- Root: precāria
- Root: prex

## Etymology
From Middle English preiere, from Old French preiere, from Early Medieval Latin precāria, derived from Latin precem. Displaced native Old English ġebed (whence modern English bead).

## AI Etymology
Prayer comes from Middle English preiere, from Old French preiere, from Early Medieval Latin precāria, derived from Latin precem. Displaced native Old English ġebed (whence modern English bead). The historical chain includes *preḱ- (Proto-Indo-European), preiere (Middle English), preiere (Old French), precāria (la-eme), prex (Latin). In present-day English it covers words spoken to a god to give thanks or ask for help, the act or practice of speaking to a god, and a very small chance or hope of success. The wider family includes derived forms such as antiprayer, prayer-monger, prayerful, prayerhouse, prayerish.

## Topics
- Religion & Belief

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