prostration

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prostration^¹

/pɹɒsˈtɹeɪʃən/

Where it comes from

From Middle English prostracioun, prostracyon, from Middle French prostration and its etymon Latin prōstrātiō, from prōstrātus, past participle of prōsternō. By surface analysis, prostrate + -ion.

noun prostrations

countable, uncountable The act or condition of prostrating oneself (lying face-down), as a sign of humility.
countable, uncountable A part of the ordination of Catholic and Orthodox priests, in which the ordinand lies prostrate in a gesture of submission to the will of God. The ordination ceremony includes a variety of rituals, rich in meaning and history, e.g., the prostration, laying on of hands, anointing of hands, giving of the chalice and paten, and sign of peace. — Diocese of Rochester, NY
countable, uncountable The state of lying face down (prone).
countable, uncountable The condition of being prostrated, as from heat; complete loss of strength. I slept after the prostration of the day, with a stringent and profound slumber which not even the nightmares that wrung me could avail to break.
countable, uncountable A reverential bow performed in Middle Eastern cultures. Their faith can be seen in their mannerisms on the pitch – cupping hands in silent pre-kick-off prayer or prostration after hitting the back of the net.
Similar: sujud

Prostration^²

proper noun

The 32nd sura (chapter) of the Qur'an.

Translations

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noun Translations

Español	postración
हिन्दी	दंडवत daṇḍvat
Français	prosternation, prosternement
Русский	простра́ция prostrácija
العربية	سُجُود sujūd

name 32nd sura of the Qur'an

العربية	سورة السجدة

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MLA

"prostration." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/prostration. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

prostration. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/prostration

Chicago

"prostration." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/prostration.

BibTeX

@misc{prostration_2026,
  title = {prostration},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/prostration},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}