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Sanc·tus

(săngktəs)

n. pl. Sanc·tus·es

1. A hymn of praise sung or spoken at the end of the Preface in many Eucharistic liturgies, including the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Mass.

2. A musical setting for this hymn.

[Middle English, from Late Latin Sānctus, from Latin sānctus, holy (from the first word of the hymn); see SANCTIFY.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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