dossal

or dos·sel

[ dos-uhl ]

noun

Also dorsal. an ornamental hanging placed at the back of an altar or at the sides of the chancel.
Archaic. dosser¹ (def. 2).

Origin of dossal

1650–60; <Medieval Latin dossale, for Latin dorsale, neuter of dorsālis, equivalent to dors(um) back + -ālis-al¹

Words Nearby dossal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dossal in a sentence

Very beautiful, likewise, are the Maries that he made on the altar-dossal, lamenting the Dead Christ.
Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects | Giorgio Vasari
Sometimes a painting takes its place, or a dossal—a decorated curtain of as rich material as circumstances will allow.
The Worship of the Church | Jacob A. Regester

British Dictionary definitions for dossal

dossal

dossel

/ (ˈdɒsəl) /

noun

an ornamental hanging, placed at the back of an altar or at the sides of a chancel

Origin of dossal

C17: from Medieval Latin dossāle, neuter of dossālis, variant of dorsālis dorsal

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