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retable

American  
[ri-tey-buhl, ree-tey-] / rɪˈteɪ bəl, ˈriˌteɪ- /

noun

  1. a decorative structure raised above an altar at the back, often forming a frame for a picture, bas-relief, or the like, and sometimes including a shelf or shelves, as for ornaments.

retable British  
/ rɪˈteɪbəl /

noun

  1. an ornamental screenlike structure above and behind an altar, esp one used as a setting for a religious picture or carving

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of retable

1815–25; < French, equivalent to Old French re ( re ) at the back (< Latin retrō ) + table table; compare Medieval Latin retrōtabulum

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 painting in question was a 15th century altar triptych called the Retable of Puget.

From Time Magazine Archive

Retable, rē-tā′bl, n. a shelf behind the altar for the display of lights, vases of flowers, &c.

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.