Beadrolls

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A formal list of names, especially of individuals associated with a church or congregation, used for remembrance or prayer purposes
2. A recorded enumeration of persons, typically kept for religious or administrative functions to honor or pray for the living and deceased
3. A comprehensive roll or register containing names, often organized within a religious context to signify those for whom prayers or memorials are offered

Etymology: The plural of "beadroll," a compound of "bead" and "roll." Here "bead" originally meant "prayer" (from Old English "gebed"), not the small ball it now denotes, so a beadroll was literally a roll of prayers, a list of names for which prayers were to be said.

Synonyms: membership lists, attendance lists