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Showing results for chancel. Search instead for chancels'.
Synonyms

chancel

American  
[chan-suhl, chahn-] / ˈtʃæn səl, ˈtʃɑn- /

noun

  1. the space about the altar of a church, usually enclosed, for the clergy and other officials.

chancel British  
/ ˈtʃɑːnsəl /

noun

  1. the part of a church containing the altar, sanctuary, and choir, usually separated from the nave and transepts by a screen

"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

Other Word Forms

  • chanceled adjective
  • chancelled adjective
  • subchancel noun

Etymology

Origin of chancel

1275–1325; Middle English < Middle French < Late Latin cancellus lattice, railing or screen before the altar of a church, Latin cancell ( ī ) (plural) lattice, railing, grating; cancel

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.

He said the candle-and-flower clad chancel and stained glass windows installed when his grandfather was a congregant were a touchstone for generations.

From Washington Times • Dec. 1, 2018

"The evidence of disturbance to the grave and repair to the chancel floor leads us to this conclusion."

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2016

Kelso and Horn knew the men buried in the chancel didn’t include Capt. John Smith, the man many fans think Pocahontas married, or John Rolfe, the man she actually did marry.

From Slate • Aug. 4, 2015

Burying his kinsman in the chancel gave the governor a chance to make a statement, Horn said, beginning with the elaborate coffins.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 29, 2015

“A chancel Just you try! Oh, John, I’m so happy I could dance a jig!”

From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare

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.