Forms: 1 altar, 1–6 alter, 3–6 auter, 3–7 aulter, 4 altere, awtiere, awteer, 4–5 awtier, 4–6 awter, autere, 5 autir, auuter, awtare, (nawtyr), 5–6 aughter, 6 autre, awlter, alterr(e, -are, aultar, 6–7 altar. [a. L. altāre, pl. altāri-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. aute·r (earlier autier, aultier, altier:—L. altāre) was adopted a. 1300, and both forms, with many intermediate ones, continued to 16th c., when the spelling altar, after L., prevailed.]
1. A block, pile, table, stand, or other raised structure, with a plane top, on which to place or sacrifice offerings to a deity.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Matt. v. 23. Læt þær þine lác beforan þam altare [v.r. wefode, Lindisf. G. wiʓbed, Hatt. weofede].
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 135. Ðe holi man sah þe heȝ engel atte alteres ende.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1325. Ysaac was leid ðat auter on.
1366. Maundev., 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. Ibid., 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. Shaks., 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.
2. In those Christian Churches which celebrate the eucharist or communion service as a sacrifice, the raised structure consecrated to this celebration.
(High Altar, the chief altar in a cathedral or church.)
c. 1200. Ormin, 1061. Att te minnstredure wass An allterr þær wiþþutenn.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 593. He herkneȝ his masse, Offred & honoured at þe heȝe auter.
1366. Maundev., x. 112. A gret Awteer of a faire Chirche.
a. 1420. Occleve, De Reg. Princ., 381. I in the sacrament Of the autére fully beleve.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., 261. The body of Crist liyng vpon the awter.
a. 1500. Nominale, in Wright, Voc., 230/2. Hoc altare, a nawtyr.
1553–87. Foxe, A. & M., I. 456/2. Priests to offren in the auter thy flesh and thy blood.
1692. Washington, trans. Milton’s Def. Pop., ii. (1851), 68. He compell’d them to set up Altars, which all Protestants abhor.
1826. Scott, Woodst. (1832), 175. The high altar had been removed.
b. As applied to the ‘holy table’ of the English Prayer-book, which occupies the place of the altars removed after the Reformation.
[In the Prayer Book of 1549 altar occurs side by side with ‘God’s board, Lord’s table, Holy table,’ the two latter of which at length displaced it in authoritative use (exc. in the Coronation Service). The word was the subject of much controversy in 17th c. In common parlance it is now used to a great extent indifferently with ‘Communion-table’ (Lord’s table, Holy table) sometimes literally, sometimes figuratively; but controversially, one or the other is used according to the doctrine of the Eucharist held or sought to be emphasized.]
1549. 1st Prayer Bk. Edw. VI. (1852), 298. These wordes before rehersed are to be saied, turning still to the Altar, without any eleuacion or shewing the sacrament to the people. [Also called p. 266 Lord’s Table, p. 302 God’s Board, and p. 273 Holy Table.]
1625. Laud, Diary, Wks. (1853), III. 181. I returned and offered them [the regalia] solemnly at the altar in the name of the king.
a. 1626. Bp. Andrewes, Answ. Cdl. Perron, 6. The Holy Eucharist being considered as a Sacrifice, the same is fitly called an altar: which again is as fitly called a Table, the Eucharist being considered as a Sacrament.
1635. Brereton, Trav. (1844), 82. It was not to be accounted an altar but the communion-table.
1637. (14 June) Laud, Sp. in Star-Ch., 54. The placing of the Holy Table Altarwise (since they will needs call it so).
a. 1638. Mede, Wks., II. 386 [Marg. title], Of the name Altar anciently given to the Holy Table.
1641. R. Brooke, Episcopacy, 18. Placing the Communion Table Altar-wise; Railing it in; Bowing to it; Receiving at it, &c.
1641–74. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. I. (1843), 39/1 [anno 1635]. Those Disputes brought in new words, and terms (Altar, Adoration, and Genuflexion, and other expressions).
1660. Stillingfleet, Irenicum, I. ii. (1662), 66. The Altar, as they metaphorically called the Communion-Table.
1742. Bailey, Dict., s.v., The Christians call the Communion Table their Altar, because they offer up thereon a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, in Memory of the Death and Passion of Jesus Christ.
1791. Boswell, Johnson (1831), I. 484. We went and looked at the church … and walked up to the altar.
1831. Eng. Coron. Service. Then the Archbishop takes the sword from off the altar, and … saith:—Receive this kingly sword brought now from the altar of God.
1883. Daily News, 27 March, 7. He then jumped down from the altar and began uttering the cry, ‘Protestants to the rescue.’
c. In phr. ‘to lead a bride to the altar,’ as the place at which the marriage service in a church is concluded; whence ‘hymeneal altar.’
1820. Combe (Dr. Syntax), Consolation, VI. 236. The indissoluble tie Which hallow’d Altars sanctify.
a. 1842. Tennyson, Lord of Burl., 11. Leads her to the village altar.
1883. Daily News, 9 March, 3/2. Mr. J. Biggar, M.P., is about to lead to the hymeneal altar a charming young lady now resident in Paris.
3. fig. A place consecrated to devotional observances. Family altar: the place or scene of family devotions.
1693. O. Heywood (title), The Family Altar, erected to the honour of the Eternal God.
4. A metrical address or dedication, fancifully written or printed in the form of an altar. arch.
1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), II. 120. As for Altars and Pyramids in Poetry, he has outdone all Men.
1682. Dryden, Mac Fleckn., 206. Some peaceful province in Acrostic land, Where thou may’st wings display, and altars raise.
5. A southern constellation, also called Ara.
1556. Recorde, Cast. Knowl., 270. Vnder the Scorpions tayle, standeth the Altar.
1868. Lockyer, Heavens (ed. 3), 334. The Altar and the Southern Triangle … bring us back to Argo.
B. Altar- in comb. I. General syntactic relations.
1. objective gen. with n. of agent or action, as altar-adorer, -building, -worship.
1641. in Rushw., Hist. Coll., III. (1692), I. 553. A notable Arminian and an Altar-adorer.
1705. Hickeringill, Priest-cr., IV. 231. Cold Formality, and Altar-Worship.
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res., III. iii. 256. Were this an altar-building time.
2. instr. & locative with pa. pple. as altar-vowed.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), II. 72. Some new breach of an altar-vowed duty.
3. attrib. Of or belonging to an altar or its appurtenances, as altar-cross, -pile, -place, -side, -top; ALTAR-CLOTH, -PIECE, -STONE; and most of those in II.
1816. Byron, Darkness, 58. The dying embers of an altar-place.
1871. F. T. Palgrave, Lyr. Poems, 34. From the altar-top Strewing her golden hair with ashes hoar.
4. attrib. Of or connected with the use of an altar, as altar-boy, -god, -servant, -service; altar-bread, -thane.
1552–5. Latimer, Serm. & Rem. (1845), 260. Their white idol (I should have said their altar-god).
1610. Healey, St. Aug., City of God, 281. The altar-servant, or sacrificer.
1772. Hist. Friar Gerund, I. 150. Idiots who are not fit to be made altar-boys.
II. Special combinations (with quotations in alphabetical order). Altar-bread, the bread used in celebrating the Communion; altar-fire, the fire on an altar, fig. religious rite; altar-front, -frontal, -facing, a movable frame, or a hanging of silk, etc., placed in front of an altar, the antependium; altar-plate, the plate used in the communion service; altar-pyx, a pyx or box for holding the consecrated elements; altar-rails, the rails separating the sacrarium from the rest of the chancel; altar-screen, the reredos wall or screen at the back of a (church-) altar; altar-slab, the slab forming the top of an altar; altar-stair, a flight of steps ascending to an altar; altar-stead, the place where an altar stands; altar-step, a step ascending to an altar; alter-table (= altar-slab); † altar-thane, the priest serving an altar, a mass-priest; altar-tomb, a raised monument resembling a solid altar; altar-ways (= ALTARWISE).
1849. Rock, Ch. Fathers, I. ii. 144. *Altar-Bread was unleavened. Ibid., 149. Irons for baking Altar-Breads.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., xli. 3. Mounts the heavenward *altar-fire.
1876. Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., III. xxxvii. 129. To Daniel the words Father, Mother had the altar-fire in them.
1566. in Eng. Ch. Furn. (1866), 56. Item an *altar ffront sold to Sir Richard thoryld.
1867. Lady Herbert, Cradle L., iii. 80. A beautiful silver altar-front.
1859. Gullick & Timbs, Paint., 308. A more important class of panel picture—viz. the *altar-frontals or antependia. These *altar-facings were moveable.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng., III. II. xiii. The desecration of the abbey-chapels and *altar-plate.
a. 1683. Oldham, Wks., 1697, 79 (Jod.). Yon *altar-pyx of gold is the abode, And safe repository of their god.
1860. W. Clark, Vac. Tour, 53. An aged priest, standing within the *altar rails.
1866. Peacock, Eng. Ch. Furn., 21. The *altar-slabs thus used as fire-backs and bridges.
1856. Mrs. Browning, Aur. Leigh, IV. 802. The topmost *altar-stair.
1868. Morris, Earthly Par., I. 94. Hung up as relics nigh the *altar-stead.
1846. Keble, Lyra Innoc. (1873), 7. With pure heart to fall Before His *Altar-step.
1566. in Eng. Ch. Furn. (1866), 42. On *alter table broken by Mr. Vycar.
1769. Gray, Lett., in Wks. (1775), 368. There is an *altar-tomb of one of them dated 1577.
1879. G. Scott, Lect. Archit., I. 180. The marble *altar-tomb of Queen Eleanor.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., *Altar-thane in our ancient law-books, denotes a priest or parson of a parish.
1641. in Burton, Diary (1828), III. 89. Caused the Communion-Table … to be removed, and set *altar-ways.
