Oxford English Dictionary altar
[a. L. alt{amac}re, pl. alt{amac}ri-a, prob. orig. a ‘high place,’ f. alt-us high. With OE. altar, cf. OS., OHG. and ON. altari, alteri, OFris. altare, alter. Side by side with the OE. form, the OFr. au{sm}ter (earlier autier, aultier, altier:{em}L. alt{amac}re) was adopted a 1300, and both forms, with many intermediate ones, continued to 16th c., when the spelling altar, after L., prevailed.]
A. 1. a. A block, pile, table, stand, or other raised structure, with a plane top, on which to place or sacrifice offerings to a deity.
c1000 ÆLFRIC Matt. v. 23 Læt {th}ær {th}ine lác beforan {th}am altare [v.r. wefode, Lindisf. G. wi{asg}bed, Hatt. weofede]. c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 135 {Edh}e holi man sah {th}e he{ygh} engel atte alteres ende. c1250 Gen. & Ex. 1325 Ysaac was leid {edh}at auter on. 1366 MANDEVILLE iii. 16 There is an Awtier upon his Toumbe. 1393 GOWER Conf. III. 250 From under thalter sodeinly An hideous serpent openly Cam out. 1535 COVERDALE Ex. xxxviii. 1 The altare of burnt offrynges. {emem} 1 Macc. iv. 49 The aulter of incense. 1611 BIBLE Gen. viii. 20 And Noah builded an Altar vnto the Lord. 1667 MILTON P.L. XI. 323 So many grateful Altars I would reare Of grassie Terfe. 1772 PENNANT Tours in Scotl. (1774) 180 An altar for sacrifices to the immortal gods. 1821 BYRON Cain I. i, I will build no more altars.
b. fig. with reference to the uses, customs, dedication, or peculiar sanctity of the altar.
1401 Pol. Poems (1859) II. 42 Datan and Abiron..with newe senceres ensencen the auters of synne. 1580 SIDNEY Arcadia I. 82 Where thoughts be the temple, sight is an aultar. 1601 SHAKES. Twel. N. V. i. 116 You vnciuill Ladie To whose ingrate, and vnauspicious Altars My soule the faithfull'st offrings haue breath'd out. 1635 HOWELL Lett. (1650) II. 41 Farewell my dear Tom..Yours to the altar, J.H. 1775 BURKE Sp. Conc. Amer. Wks. III. 94 The stones which construct the sacred altar of peace. 1857 HEAVYSEGE Saul (1869) 381 The stars shall sooner fall Each from its sacred altar in the heavens.
A. 1. a. A block, pile, table, stand, or other raised structure, with a plane top, on which to place or sacrifice offerings to a deity.
c1000 ÆLFRIC Matt. v. 23 Læt {th}ær {th}ine lác beforan {th}am altare [v.r. wefode, Lindisf. G. wi{asg}bed, Hatt. weofede]. c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 135 {Edh}e holi man sah {th}e he{ygh} engel atte alteres ende. c1250 Gen. & Ex. 1325 Ysaac was leid {edh}at auter on. 1366 MANDEVILLE iii. 16 There is an Awtier upon his Toumbe. 1393 GOWER Conf. III. 250 From under thalter sodeinly An hideous serpent openly Cam out. 1535 COVERDALE Ex. xxxviii. 1 The altare of burnt offrynges. {emem} 1 Macc. iv. 49 The aulter of incense. 1611 BIBLE Gen. viii. 20 And Noah builded an Altar vnto the Lord. 1667 MILTON P.L. XI. 323 So many grateful Altars I would reare Of grassie Terfe. 1772 PENNANT Tours in Scotl. (1774) 180 An altar for sacrifices to the immortal gods. 1821 BYRON Cain I. i, I will build no more altars.
b. fig. with reference to the uses, customs, dedication, or peculiar sanctity of the altar.
1401 Pol. Poems (1859) II. 42 Datan and Abiron..with newe senceres ensencen the auters of synne. 1580 SIDNEY Arcadia I. 82 Where thoughts be the temple, sight is an aultar. 1601 SHAKES. Twel. N. V. i. 116 You vnciuill Ladie To whose ingrate, and vnauspicious Altars My soule the faithfull'st offrings haue breath'd out. 1635 HOWELL Lett. (1650) II. 41 Farewell my dear Tom..Yours to the altar, J.H. 1775 BURKE Sp. Conc. Amer. Wks. III. 94 The stones which construct the sacred altar of peace. 1857 HEAVYSEGE Saul (1869) 381 The stars shall sooner fall Each from its sacred altar in the heavens.
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