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matins

Pronunciation: /ˈmatɪnz/

(also mattins)

Definition of matins

noun

a Christian service of morning prayer, especially in the Anglican Church.
a service forming part of the traditional Divine Office of the Western Christian Church, originally said (or chanted) at or after midnight.
(also matin) literary the morning song of birds.

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French matines, plural (influenced by Church Latin matutinae 'morning prayers') of matin 'morning', from Latin matutinum, neuter of matutinus 'early in the morning', from Matuta, the name of the dawn goddess