Websters has a definition of the english word used a few hundred years ago to convey a concept. According to Strongs concordance, pray:
to pray to God, i.e. supplicate, worship:—pray (X earnestly, for), make prayer
(this is ‘pray’ used in Matt 6, ‘teach us to pray’ and ‘pray like this’ when Jesus directed His followers to pray to His Father)
The concept of praying to the saints, dates back to before the 1st century. That meaning persists.