altarpiece

noun

al·​tar·​piece ˈȯl-tər-ˌpēs How to pronounce altarpiece (audio)
: a work of art that decorates the space above and behind an altar

Examples of altarpiece in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The nature of optics, or how the eye sees as light’s conduit, is the focus of an altarpiece fragment by Giotto from the San Diego Museum of Art. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024 Martín Ramírez’s large Caballero features a magnificent desperado pointing his gun as his almost-hieroglyphic horse rears its head — a brilliant universal altarpiece. Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024 This is the first time that the surviving scenes from the rear of the altarpiece’s base, called the predella, have been reunited. Christian K. Kleinbub, ARTnews.com, 29 Oct. 2024 The gold leaf artworks have the aesthetic of Byzantine or Renaissance altarpieces. Lee Sharrock, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for altarpiece 

Word History

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of altarpiece was in 1624

Dictionary Entries Near altarpiece

Cite this Entry

“Altarpiece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altarpiece. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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