A service of morning prayer in the Divine Office of the Western Christian Church, traditionally said or chanted at daybreak, though historically it was often held with matins on the previous night.‘from the abbey church we could hear the faint chanting of lauds’
- ‘The rhythm of my days goes slower now: matins and lauds, vespers and compline.’
- ‘The office is a pattern of nonsacramental prayer services that are celebrated at regular times of the day or night, primarily lauds in the morning and vespers at night.’
- ‘He notes that Philip loved to read the lauds of Jacopone of Todi, a thirteenth-century Franciscan poet.’
- ‘After their meal they retire to their caves and cells for the rest of the day, emerging only to sing lauds, vespers and compline at the appointed times.’
- ‘Morning and evening prayer are structured after the traditional offices of lauds and vespers.’
- ‘The days began before dawn with lauds in the chapel.’
Middle English from the frequent use, in Psalms 148–150, of the Latin imperative laudate! ‘praise ye!’ (see also laud).