Also called altar stone. Also called altar slab,. the flat stone forming the top of the altar in a Roman Catholic church.
(initial capital letter) the Table, a southern constellation near Octans.
First recorded in 1685–95; from Latin mēnsa “table”
From the Latin word mēnsa table, symbolizing the original conception of the society, “a round table where no one has precedence”
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A divorce a mensa et thoro could also be granted for cruelty.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 5 "Dinard" to "Dodsworth" by Various
Those who had found mensa too much for them came to me to get a smattering of grammar.
From The Mason-Bees by Teixeira de Mattos, Alexander
There was nothing whatever ordained or assigned for his episcopal mensa, by which the bishop might live; for he had not even a house of his own.
From St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh by Lawlor, Hugh Jackson
This "rushing" influenza, Just taken for a mensa, Most certainly will cleanse a' Your system, man.
From By Trench and Trail in Song and Story by MacKay, Angus
But perhaps it consoles her to think that she knows the genitive of mensa.
From Look Back on Happiness by Wiking, Paula
Due out May 1, it features contributions from R&B pioneer Raphael Saadiq, pop star Khalid, rapper Vic Mensa and more.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2026
On his personal website, Polito wrote at length about his favorite topics, rarely failing to mention membership in the Mensa society for people with high IQs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 7, 2023
Across 18 tracks, Mensa explores culture, sobriety, Ghana, home and himself, leading to his most zealous work to date.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 10, 2023
Herman is a member of Mensa, the society for those who have the highest IQs in the world.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 29, 2023
Hugh has been advised to try again: scores can fluctuate according to stress and circumstance, and he's right on the cusp of Mensa qualification.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
At once O'Toole's face brightened, and with a shout of pride he reeled out, "Mensa, mensa, mensam, mensae, mensae, mensa."
From Clementina by Mason, A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley)
In the religion of the family Ovid indeed has charmingly expressed it, perhaps on the authority of some lost passage of Varro296:— ante focos olim scamnis considere longis mos erat, et mensae credere adesse deos.
From The Religious Experience of the Roman People From the Earliest Times to the Age of Augustus by Fowler, W. Warde
The century writers777 make out of Dionysius Alexandrinus's epistle to Xistus, bishop of Rome, that the custom of the church of Alexandria in receiving the sacrament, was, ut mensae assisterent.
From The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2) by Gillespie, George
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.
