altar rail


noun
  1. the rail in front of an altar, separating the sanctuary from those parts of the church that are in front of it.

Origin of altar rail

1
First recorded in 1855–60

Words Nearby altar rail

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use altar rail in a sentence

  • The gray shadowy walls seemed turning round and round; Richard caught the altar-rail to stand steady.

    God Wills It! | William Stearns Davis
  • When they stood at last on the base, she put her hand on his shoulder and looked across the brass altar rail.

    The Jewels of Aptor | Samuel R. Delany
  • There was no attempt to save a spot for any earnest reality, except the poor little enclosure behind the altar rail.

    Studies of Christianity | James Martineau
  • Besides the motionless figures at the altar-rail there was no one else in the chapel.

    Great Possessions | Mrs. Wilfrid Ward
  • There is a splendid reredos of Caen stone and alabaster, and a peculiarly handsome altar-rail of vert antique and alabaster.

    The Church Index | William Pepperell