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in·vi·ta·to·ry

(ĭn-vītə-tôr′ē)

n. pl. in·vi·ta·to·ries

A psalm or other piece sung as an invitation to prayer in church services, especially at the opening of matins in the Roman office.

adj.

Constituting or containing an invitation.

[Middle English invitatorie, from Medieval Latin invītātōrium, from Late Latin invītātōrius, inviting, from Latin invītātus, past participle of invītāre, to invite.]

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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