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18 results for: Chancel

Dictionary Entries (4 more entries. View all »)
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)Cite This Source
chan·cel    Audio Help   [chan-suhl, chahn-] Pronunciation Key
–noun
the space about the altar of a church, usually enclosed, for the clergy and other officials.
[Origin: 1275–1325; ME < MF < LL cancellus lattice, railing or screen before the altar of a church, L cancell(ī) (pl.) lattice, railing, grating; see cancel]

—Related forms
chanceled, chancelled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopedia Articles (12 more entries. View all »)
Columbia Electronic EncyclopediaCite This Source


chancel, primarily that part of the church close to the altar and used by the officiating clergy. In the early churches it was separated from the nave by a low parapet or open railing (cancellus), its name being thus derived. San Clemente at Rome has one of the few preserved examples. With the development of the choir, additional space was taken, between the sanctuary and the nave, for the accommodation of the canons and singers. The chancel rail was moved forward, and the entire space became known as the choir, although it is also termed the chancel; there is no strict differentiation in the usage. In the Middle Ages the chancel rail was replaced by lofty choir screens (see rood), especially in English cathedrals and in monastic churches. 
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004, Columbia University Press.
Licensed from Columbia University Press




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