See Also: matin(medicine)
Le Matin(finance)
matin(1)(dictionary)
matin(2)(dictionary)
matin(dictionary)

matin(2) (iou)



matin noun. Pl. matins, mattins (treated as sing. or pl.). ME.
[Old & mod. French matines pl. (sing. matin) from ecclesiastical Latin matutinas use as noun of fem. accus. pl. (prob. sc. vigilias watches) of matutinus MATUTINE.]
I. In pl.
Ecclesiastical.
a. (The canonical hour of) an office appointed in the breviary, properly a night office, but also said at daybreak (with the following office, lauds) or on the previous evening. ME.
b. The entire public service preceding the first mass on Sunday. Long obsolete exc. Hist. ME.
c. An Anglican service held in the morning with a set form similar to that of evensong, based on the earlier matins with elements from lauds and prime. M16.
More fully devil's matins. A service of devil-worship attributed to witches; transf. an uproar. E17-E19.
A morning duty, occupation, or performance. arch. M17.
II. sing.
A morning. rare. LME-M19.
III. In pl. & sing.
The morning song of birds. poet. E16.
Phrases: Parisian matins: see PARISIAN adjective.