frithstool

American

[frith-stool] / ˈfrɪθˌstʊl /

noun

(in Anglo-Saxon England) a seat in a church, placed near the altar, for persons who claimed the right of sanctuary.

Etymology

Origin of frithstool

before 1000; Old English frithstōl, equivalent to frith peace, security (akin to Old Norse frithr, Gothic Frithareiks Frederick; see friend) + stōl stool

Example Sentences

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frithstool

There was a frithstool endowed with similar privileges at York Minster, and another at Durham.

From The Customs of Old England by Snell, F. J. (Frederick John)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023