Altar Definition
ôltər
altars
noun
altars
An elevated place or structure before which religious ceremonies may be enacted or upon which sacrifices may be offered.
American Heritage
A place, esp. a raised platform, where sacrifices or offerings are made to a god, an ancestor, etc.
Webster's New World
A structure, typically a table, before which the divine offices are recited and upon which the Eucharist is celebrated in Christian churches.
American Heritage
A table, stand, etc. used for sacred purposes in a place of worship, as the Communion table in Christian churches.
Webster's New World
idiom
lead to the altar
- to marry
Webster's New World
Other Word Forms of Altar
Noun
Singular:
altar
Plural:
altarsIdioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Altar
- lead to the altar
Origin of Altar
-
From Latin altare (“altar”), probably related to adolere (“burn”); thus "burning place", influenced by a false connection with altus (“high”).
From Wiktionary
Middle English auter from Old English altar Old French auter both from Latin altāre
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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