Hail Mary
noun
plural Hail Marys
1
: a Roman Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary that consists of salutations and a plea for her intercession
2
or less commonly Hail Mary pass : a long forward pass in football thrown into or near the end zone in a last-ditch attempt to score as time runs out —often used figuratively
The only potential cure is a stem-cell transplant, when you take somebody else's immune system and put it into yours. But right now that's kind of a Hail Mary pass.
Douglas Cote, quoted in Bicycling
Douglas Cote, quoted in Bicycling
Example Sentences
He threw up a Hail Mary at the end of the first half.
Word History
Etymology
translation of Medieval Latin Ave, Maria, from the opening words
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
- (as) daft as a brush
- (as) dead as a dodo
- (as) dead as a doornail
- (as) drunk as a lord
- (as) drunk as a skunk
- (as) dry as a bone
- (as) dull as dishwater
- (as) dull as ditchwater
- (as) easy as ABC
- (as) easy as falling off a log
- (as) easy as pie
- (as) good as new
- (as) guilty as sin
- (as) guilty/miserable/ugly as sin
- (as) happy as a clam
- (as) hard/tough as nails
- (as) keen as mustard
- (as) large as life
- (as) near as someone can tell/figure
- (as) plain as day
- (as) plain as the nose on your face
- (as) pleased as punch
- (as) pretty as a picture
- (as) pure as the driven snow
- (as) quick as a wink