nave
Americannoun
noun
noun
Etymology
Origin of nave
First recorded in 1665–75; from Medieval Latin nāvis, Latin: “ship”; so called from the resemblance in shape
Explanation
When a bride walks down the aisle in a church, she is walking down the nave, or central area of the church. The word nave comes from the Latin navis, meaning "ship." If you think of the central space of a big Gothic church with its high vaulted ceiling, it does kind of form the shape of a ship, doesn't it? The nave is the area where the congregation sits. It's usually rectangular in shape and filled with rows of benches.
Vocabulary lists containing nave
Built To Last: Architectural Parlance
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "K" "L""M" and "N" and "O"
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"St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves" by Karen Russell
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Nave Photon was recorded north of Caracas on Thursday, heading for Port Freeport in Texas, having arrived at the Jose terminal, eastern Venezuela, on January 5.
From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026
On Sept. 24, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to retain the law firm of Meyers Nave to assist the county in litigation in connection with the fire.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2024
“There were times when I was expecting a Saint Bernard, but you gave me a Chihuahua,” Nave said about the weather forecasters.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 29, 2024
Binoche: It was generously given to all the crew by Michel Nave.
From Salon • Feb. 9, 2024
Nave, nāv, n. the middle or main body of a church, distinct from the aisles or wings.—n.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
