altar
nounbefore 12th century{ds||1||}
- a usually raised structure or place on which sacrifices are offered or incense is burned in worship —often used figuratively to describe a thing given great or undue precedence or value especially at the cost of something else
- a tablelike construction used in the Christian church in celebrating the Eucharist
- a table or place which serves as a center of worship or ritual—often used with the to refer to the act of getting married
altar boy
noun
altar boy
\
1772{ds||1||}
- a boy who assists the celebrant in a liturgical service
- a morally pure and virtuous person —typically used in negative constructions to describe a man whose behavior is not entirely admirable or blameless
altar call
noun
altar call
\
1896
- an appeal by an evangelist to worshippers to come forward to signify their decision to commit their lives to Christ
altar girl
noun
altar girl
\
1905
- a girl acting as a lay assistant in church services
altar of repose
noun phrase
altar of repose
\
1849
- repository
altar rail
noun
altar rail
\
1705
- a railing in front of an altar separating the chancel from the body of the church
altar server
noun
altar server
\
1920
- a lay person (typically a child or adolescent) who assists the celebrant in a liturgical service
altar stone
noun
altar stone
\
14th century
- a stone slab with a compartment containing the relics of martyrs that forms an essential part of a Roman Catholic altar
high altar
noun
high altar
\
before 12th century
- the principal altar in a church
lead to the altar
idiom
lead to the altar
\
- to ultimately lead to marriage
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