daven

verb

da·​ven ˈdä-vən How to pronounce daven (audio)
ˈdȯ-
variants or less commonly
davened also dovened; davening also dovening; davens also dovens

intransitive verb

: to recite the prescribed prayers in a Jewish liturgy

Examples of daven in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The initial mission was personal for me too, to daven in Warsaw, as my great Uncle Pinchas was the Cantor in The Great Synagogue (Tlomackie Street) for 30 years, before he was slaughtered by the Nazis. Cantor Glenn Sherman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Nov. 2022 The Beit Midrash — A large, dedicated space for the entire school to gather to hear speakers, as well as to daven during holidays and other special occasions. • Randall P. Lieberman, Jewish Journal, 2 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'daven.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Yiddish davnen

First Known Use

circa 1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of daven was circa 1930

Dictionary Entries Near daven

Cite this Entry

“Daven.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/daven. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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