transept

American  

[tran-sept] / ˈtræn sɛpt /

noun

Architecture.

1. any major transverse part of the body of a church, usually crossing the nave, at right angles, at the entrance to the choir.

2. an arm of this, on either side of the central aisle of a church.

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transept British  

/ ˈtrænsɛpt /

noun

1. either of the two wings of a cruciform church at right angles to the nave

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Other Word Forms

• transeptal adjective
• transeptally adverb

Etymology

Origin of transept

From the Anglo-Latin word trānseptum, dating back to 1530–40. See trans-, septum

Example Sentences

Four weeks later, on the day of the concert, Hulthage purchased a tuxedo but had yet to change as he helped set up chairs for the strings in the transept of Westwood United Methodist Church.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2025

The restoration lasted over a year, and in that time the cathedral was turned into a bit of a building site, with a maze of scaffolds set up on the altar and transept.

From BBC • Dec. 23, 2024

“Men and women among the 4,000 who jammed the huge nave and transept, choir lofts, chapels, doorways and the steps outside wept openly,” the Times reported.

From Washington Post • Mar. 31, 2023

"The floor of the transept crossing has revealed remains of remarkable scientific quality," France's Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot said, adding that excavation works have been extended until March 25.

From Reuters • Mar. 15, 2022

By 1331 the carpenters and roofers had completed work on the spire, which rose above the crossing of the nave and the transept.

From "Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction" by David Macaulay