Dictionary

altarpiece en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈæl.təɹˌpis/ (US)
• /ˈɑl.təɹˌpis/ (US)
• (US) audio
• äl′-tər-pēs′
• ăl′-tər-pēs′

Etymology

From altar + piece.

Meanings

1. a work of art suspended above and behind an altar in a church
   • I walked across the concrete to examine the altarpiece of the atomic age. A large crack ran through it. 2008 December 15, David Samuels, “Atomic John: A truck driver uncovers secrets about the first nuclear bombs”, in The New Yorker, archived from the original on 12 Mar 2015:
   • “It’s this snaggletoothed, little bird-footed homunculus caricature,” Bourneuf said. “Many artists at this time were trying to make new altarpieces. Klee tended to take a very skeptical distance from the sort of grandiose projects of many of his expressionist peers, so I think it’s actually kind of mocking those hopes.” 2025 May 7, Nina Siegal, “A Rarely Seen Angel With a Lesson From History”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 08 May 2025:

Forms

Translations (11)

ca retaule (work of art suspended above and behind an altar) · uk ві́вта́рна карти́на (work of art suspended above and behind an altar) · sv altartavla (work of art suspended above and behind an altar) · cmn 祭坛画 (work of art suspended above and behind an altar) · pt retábulo (work of art suspended above and behind an altar) · it ancona (work of art suspended above and behind an altar) · ru алта́рная карти́на (work of art suspended above and behind an altar) · it pala d'altare (work of art suspended above and behind an altar) · fi alttaritaulu (work of art suspended above and behind an altar) · da altertavle (work of art suspended above and behind an altar) · et altarimaal (work of art suspended above and behind an altar)