1. Ecclesiastical.
   1. The sixth of the seven canonical hours.
   2. A worship service held in the late afternoon or evening in many Western Christian churches.
   3. The time of day appointed for this service.
2. Evensong.
3. Roman Catholic Church. A service held on Sundays or holy days that includes the office of vespers.

[Obsolete French vespres, from Old French, from Medieval Latin vesperās, evening service, from Latin, accusative pl. of vespera, evening, variant of vesper. See vesper.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.