# altar

Pronunciation: US say "AWL-tur" /ˈɔl.tɚ/; UK say "OL-tuh" /ˈɒl.tə/

## Noun

1. A table or other flat-topped structure used in religious rites and ceremonies.
   - Simple: A flat-topped table used for religious ceremonies and offerings.
   - _The ancient temple held a marble altar at its center._
   - _Pilgrims left offerings on the altar throughout the festival._
2. A real or notional place where something is worshipped, or to which sacrifices are made, treated as worthy of any cost.
   - Simple: A real or imagined place where something matters so much that other things are given up for it.
   - _Whole forests were felled on the altar of progress._
   - _She refused to lay her principles on the altar of convenience._
3. The raised area surrounding the altar in a church; the sanctuary. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: The raised space at the front of a church, around the altar.
   - _The bishop led the procession toward the altar at the start of Mass._
   - _Guests filled the pews while the priest waited at the altar._

## Origin

This word came into English both from Old English altar and from Old French auter, which both go back to Latin altāre. That Latin word was probably related to adolere ("burn"), giving the sense of a "burning place", and was influenced by altus ("high"). It replaced the native Middle English word wēved.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/altar (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).