noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
äl′-tər-pēs′
US:/ˈɑl.təɹˌpis/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
ăl′-tər-pēs′
US:/ˈæl.təɹˌpis/
CMU ARPABET:AO1 L T ER0 P IY2 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
a work of art suspended above and behind an altar in a church
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
a painted or carved screen placed above and behind an altar or communion table
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: reredos
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: screen
History
Etymology
From altar + piece.
Across languages
Translations
11 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
retaule
— work of art suspended above and behind an altar
Chinese Mandarin:
祭坛画
(jìtánhuà)
— work of art suspended above and behind an altar
Danish:
altertavle
— work of art suspended above and behind an altar
Estonian:
altarimaal
— work of art suspended above and behind an altar
Finnish:
alttaritaulu
— work of art suspended above and behind an altar
Italian:
pala d'altare
— work of art suspended above and behind an altar
Italian:
ancona
— work of art suspended above and behind an altar
Portuguese:
retábulo
— work of art suspended above and behind an altar
Russian:
алта́рная карти́на
(altárnaja kartína)
— work of art suspended above and behind an altar
Swedish:
altartavla
— work of art suspended above and behind an altar
Ukrainian:
ві́вта́рна карти́на
(vívtárna kartýna)
— work of art suspended above and behind an altar