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Definition of "chancel" [chan•cel]

  • The space around the altar of a church for the clergy and sometimes the choir, often enclosed by a lattice or railing. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "chancel" in a sentence
  • "These walls were called cancelli, hence the English word "chancel"."
  • "If you remember, each corner of the chancel, is supported by a large brick buttress."
  • "In a later time the name chancel came to be applied to the presbyterium itself."