Hail Mary
/heɪlˈmɛəri
/noun (plural Hail Marys)
1A prayer to the Virgin Mary used chiefly by Roman Catholics, beginning with part of Luke 1:28. Also called Ave Maria.We'd pile into the car at the crack of dawn and my father would say a Hail Mary before we left, to make sure that the Virgin Mary kept an eye on us....
- And he tightened his hold on her hand as they recited the Lord's Prayer and a Hail Mary.
- She made a cross on her forehead, said a Hail Mary and an Our Father, asked God to prepare a place for her friend and remove her pain.
2 [usually as modifier] American Football A long, typically unsuccessful pass made in an attempt to score late in the game.They beat the other team on a Hail Mary pass as time expired, marking easily the most exciting play of the day....
- He is valuable in short-yardage situations and perfectly executed a Hail Mary pass for a touchdown against the other team.
- And this was, and as some people, as I say, call it a Hail Mary pass.
2.1A plan or project with little chance of success.Nobody thought this was a 60-win team, mind you, but certainly a strong enough group to return to the playoffs without a Hail Mary deal....
- I can only imagine this was the perp's attempt at a Hail Mary to get key evidence thrown out.
- green-winged orchis
- green with envy
- green-woman
- greenwood
- green woodpecker
- greeny
- green yard
- green zone
- Greer, Germaine
- greet
- greeter
- greeting
- greeting card
- greetings card
- gregarine
- gregarious
- gregariously
- gregariousness
- greggle
- Gregorian calendar
- Gregorian chant
- Gregorian telescope
- Gregory of Nazianzus, St
- Gregory of Nyssa, St
- Gregory of Tours, St