reredos

American  

[reer-dos, reer-i-, rair-i-] / ˈrɪər dɒs, ˈrɪər ɪ-, ˈrɛər ɪ- /

noun

1. a screen or a decorated part of the wall behind an altar in a church.

2. the back of a fireplace or of a medieval open hearth.

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reredos British  

/ ˈrɪədɒs /

noun

1. 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

2. another word for fireback

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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

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 • May 13, 2018

Dr. Stires, who entered the church wearing cassock and rochet, had stood humbly before the carved reredos while his attending presbyters garbed him in a chimere.

From Time Magazine Archive

Beside the high altar, in the shadow of its towering reredos, he was enthroned.

From Time Magazine Archive

With its glowing gold, blue, red & black mosaics, its multi-colored marble panels and the ancient ikons on the reredos above its elaborate stone altar, it was a far cry from Manhattan's John Street Church.

From Time Magazine Archive

There were gates across the choir aisles in a line with the reredos, and these are marked in the plan of the cathedral published somewhere about 1720.

From Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lichfield A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal See by Clifton, A. B.

Related Words

• shrine