Illustration of Agnus Dei
- Agnus Dei 2
Agnus Dei
noun
Ag·nus Dei ˌäg-ˌnu̇s-ˈdā(-ˌē) 
-ˌnüs-;
ˌän-yu̇s-;
ˌag-nəs-
1
: a liturgical prayer addressed to Christ as Savior
2
: an image of a lamb often with a halo and a banner and cross used as a symbol of Christ
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, borrowed from Late Latin Agnus Deī "lamb of God," translation of Greek Amnòs toû Theoû; from its opening words
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1