introibo · noun — the prayers spoken by the priest at the foot of the altar at the start of a Tridentine Mass. It carries an Arena rating of 1224, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, introibo ranks #851 of 17,146 for Most Storied Words, #1,602 of 17,195 for Most Exacting Words, #2,110 of 17,151 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #2,198 of 17,163 for Most Sublime Words.
introibo is pronounced /ˈɪntɹəʊiːbəʊ/.
Why “introibo” is a great word
The recited preparatory prayers spoken by the priest at the foot of the altar at the beginning of the Tridentine Mass, from the Ecclesiastical Latin 'introībō ad altāre Deī', meaning 'I shall go in towards the altar of God', which is the rite's opening line. Unlike the 'introit', a variable entrance chant, or the 'incipit', a neutral bibliographic term, *introibo* is the fixed, performative formula that initiates a specific ritual action. It is the hushed murmur in a dim church, the scent of old beeswax and incense rising, the deliberate folding of hands before the steps—the solemn, measured crossing of a threshold from the profane world into a sacred one.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From Ecclesiastical Latin introībō ad altāre Deī (“I shall go in towards the altar of God”), the first line spoken.
noun
- The prayers spoken by the priest at the foot of the altar at the start of a Tridentine Mass.e.g.“At the Introibo he noticed at his right, as usual, his guardian angel, who acted as the angel mentioned by St. John in the Apocalypse, standing before the altar and bearing a golden censer.” — 1959, Henri Béchard, The Visions of Bernard Francis de Hoyos, S.J.: Apostle of the Sacred Heart in Spain, a Biography, page 72:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- introit 83% match — A prayer, typically part of a psalm or other portion of the Bible, read or sung at the start of Mass while or immediately after the priest ascends to the altar. vs introibo →
- preprayer 57% match — Before prayer. vs introibo →
- offertory 56% match — A prayer said or sung as an anthem while offerings of bread and wine are placed on the altar during the Roman Catholic Mass or the Anglican Communion service. vs introibo →
- oremus 56% match — A liturgical prayer. vs introibo →
- preces 53% match — The alternate responsive petitions, as the versicles and suffrages, between the clergyman and the congregation in liturgical worship. vs introibo →
- confiteor 53% match — A prayer, typically beginning “I confess to Almighty God…” in English, in which public confession of sins is made. vs introibo →
- exord 53% match — A preface or prefatory passage. vs introibo →
- offertorial 53% match — Relating to an offering, or the ritual of offertory. vs introibo →