reredos
Americannoun
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a screen or a decorated part of the wall behind an altar in a church.
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the back of a fireplace or of a medieval open hearth.
noun
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a screen or wall decoration at the back of an altar, in the form of a hanging, tapestry, painting, or piece of metalwork or sculpture
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another word for fireback
Etymology
Origin of reredos
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, alteration of Anglo-French areredos, equivalent to Middle French arere “behind” + dos “back” (from Latin dorsum ); arrears
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 also helped conserve the centuries-old reredos at the local church, where many children come back for traditional Christmas and Easter prayers – giving hope that younger generations will learn to be attached to their church.
From Seattle Times
To prepare for the abatement, all open surfaces in the church must be covered, including the pipe organ on the balcony and the high altar, or reredos, which holds the tabernacle.
From Washington Times
He blends piety and passion in the most mystically amorous fashion; with the cantando expressivo in D, begins some lovely music, secular in spirit, mayhap intended by its creator for reredos and pyx.
From Project Gutenberg
The retablo of the High Altar is in character, articulate and graceful, unlike the usual, overladen reredos of Spain.
From Project Gutenberg
The painting or piece of sculpture above and behind the altar; reredos.
From Project Gutenberg
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.
