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altar stone
noun
: a stone slab with a compartment containing the relics of martyrs that forms an essential part of a Roman Catholic altar
Examples of altar stone in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
What, in particular, made the altar stone special is unclear.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 14 Aug. 2024
The central six-ton altar stone at Stonehenge may have come from more than 450 miles away, according to a new study published in the scientific journal Nature.
—Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 16 Aug. 2024
Kirkland and his fellow researchers examined three ways the altar stone could have traveled from Scotland to Stonehenge.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 14 Aug. 2024
Unlike the English monument, Maryhill’s altar stone is positioned in line with the astronomical horizon instead of the midsummer sunrise – resulting in a three-degree difference from the original.
—oregonlive, 23 Sep. 2021
And on a famous altar stone from the site of Sak Nikte’, also in modern-day Guatemala, a queen known as Ix Naah Ek’ wore the helmet of the Maya god of war and stood atop a large battle palanquin, or platform, the size of a Macy’s parade float.
—Shannon Palus, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2014
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Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of altar stone was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near altar stone
Cite this Entry
“Altar stone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altar%20stone. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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