ex-voto

A worshipper places an ex-voto in the chapel.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A votive offering: "ex-voto" refers to an object, such as a painting, sculpture, or plaque, left in a church or shrine as an offering to fulfill a vow or express gratitude for a prayer answered.
   • A devotional object: It can also mean any item dedicated to a deity or saint as a token of thanks or supplication.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The chapel was filled with ex-votos left by sailors who survived storms at sea. (Votive offerings made in gratitude.)
  • She hung a small silver ex-voto of a heart in the cathedral after her recovery. (A symbolic object dedicated to a saint.)

Advanced Usage

• "to leave an ex-voto": to deposit a votive offering as part of a religious practice.

  • Pilgrims often leave an ex-voto at the shrine to commemorate a miracle. (They place a devotional object as a token of thanks.)

• "ex-voto painting": a specific type of ex-voto, often a small painting depicting the event for which thanks is given.

  • The museum displayed a 19th-century ex-voto painting of a family saved from a fire. (A votive artwork narrating a rescue.)

Variants and Related Words

• Votive (adj): relating to or expressing a vow or wish.

  • The votive candle was lit as a prayer. (A candle offered in devotion.)

• Offering (n): something presented as a gift, especially in a religious context.

  • The ex-voto is a form of offering. (A gift given to a deity.)

Synonyms

• Votive offering: an object given in fulfillment of a vow.
• Devotional gift: a present made as an act of worship.
• Thanksgiving token: a small item symbolizing gratitude.

Related Idioms

• Pay a vow: to fulfill a religious promise by making an offering.

  • The ex-voto is a way to pay a vow. (It is an act of fulfilling a sacred promise.)

• Leave a token: to deposit a symbolic object as a sign of devotion.

  • Many ex-votos are simply tokens of faith. (They are small, meaningful objects.)