prayer
/preə(r)/noun
1- a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship祷告, 祈祷; 祷文, 祷辞：
I'll say a prayer for him
我将为他祷告
mass noun the peace of God is ours through prayer.只要祈祷, 上帝的平安就属于我们。
1.1
prayers
a religious service, especially a regular one, at which people gather in order to pray together（尤指定期聚会时的）祈祷仪式：500 people were detained as they attended Friday prayers.
500人在参加星期五祈祷仪式时被拘留。
1.2
- an earnest hope or wish愿望, 祈望：
it is our prayer that the current progress on human rights will be sustained.
我们祈望当前的人权进步将持续下去。
短语
not have a prayer
- informal have no chance at all of succeeding at something〈非正式〉毫无成功的希望：
he doesn't have a prayer of toppling Tyson.
他根本不可能战胜泰森。
词源
Middle English: from Old French preiere, based on Latin precarius 'obtained by entreaty'， from prex, prec- 'prayer'.