rosary

String of beads used in a number of religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, to count off prayers. In the Roman Catholic and some Anglican churches the most common of these prayers is the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin, which refers to a series of prayers consisting of 150 Ave Marias (Hail Marys) and 15 Paternosters (Lord's Prayers) and Gloria Patris, or to a string of 165 beads for keeping count of these prayers. The prayers are accompanied by meditation on specific mysteries, events from the lives of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary.