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Dray vs Pray - What's the difference?

dray | pray |

As a noun dray

is a low horse-drawn cart, often without sides, and used especially for heavy loads or dray can be variant spelling of drey , the nest of a squirrel.

As a verb pray is

to petition or solicit help from a supernatural or higher being.

As an adverb pray is

please; used to make a polite request.

dray

English

Etymology 1

(etyl) draye, 1325-1375. Compare .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A low horse-drawn cart, often without sides, and used especially for heavy loads.
  • * 1900 , , Chapter I,
    • Standing foursquare in the heart of the town, at the intersection of the two main streets, a "jog" at each street corner left around the market-house a little public square, which at this hour was well occupied by carts and wagons from the country and empty drays awaiting hire
    (Addison)
  • A kind of sledge or sled.
    • (Halliwell)

    Etymology 2

    Unknown

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • variant spelling of drey , The nest of a squirrel.

    • Anagrams

    * * English terms with unknown etymologies

    pray

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To petition or solicit help from a supernatural or higher being.
    • Muslims pray in the direction of Mecca.
  • To humbly beg a person for aid or their time.
  • (religion) to communicate with God for any reason.
  • (obsolete) To ask earnestly for; to seek to obtain by supplication; to entreat for.
  • * Shakespeare
    • I know not how to pray your patience.

    Derived terms

    * prayer * pray in aid

    Adverb

    (-)
  • please; used to make a polite request.
    • pray silence for…
  • * 1816 , (Jane Austen), , Volume 1 Chapter 8
    • "Pray , Mr. Knightley," said Emma, who had been smiling to herself through a great part of this speech, "how do you know that Mr. Martin did not speak yesterday?"
  • * Charles Dickens, , 1841:
    • Pray''' don’t ask me why, '''pray''' don’t be sorry, '''pray don’t be vexed with me!
  • * Frederick Marryat, , 1845:
    • Well, Major, pray tell us your adventures, for you have frightened us dreadfully.
  • * 1892 , (Arthur Conan Doyle),
    • Thank you. I am sorry to have interrupted you. Pray continue your most interesting statement.
  • * 2013 , Martina Hyde, Is the pope Catholic?'' (in ''The Guardian , 20 September 2013)[http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/20/is-pope-catholic-atheists-gay-people-abortion]
    • He is a South American, so perhaps revolutionary spirit courses through Francis's veins. But what, pray , does the Catholic church want with doubt?