baldachin

[ bal-duh-kin, bawl- ]

noun

1. Also Textiles. a silk brocade interwoven with gold or silver threads, used chiefly for ceremonial purposes.
2. Architecture. a permanent ornamental canopy, as above a freestanding altar or throne.
3. a portable canopy carried in religious processions.

baldachin

/ ˌbɔːldəˈkiːnəʊ; ˈbɔːldəkɪn /

noun

1. a richly ornamented silk and gold brocade
2. a canopy of fabric or stone over an altar, shrine, or throne in a Christian church or carried in Christian religious processions over an object of veneration

Other Words From

• balda·chined adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of baldachin¹

1250–1300; earlier baldakin < Medieval Latin baldakinus < Italian baldacchino, equivalent to Baldacc ( o ) Baghdad (famous as a source of silk brocades) + -ino -ine ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of baldachin¹

Old English baldekin , from Italian baldacchino , literally: stuff from Baghdad, from Baldacco Baghdad, noted for its brocades

Example Sentences

We can see St. Matthew on the left above the baldachin, and St. John on the right.

From National Geographic

I was glad to escape the cold and wind, and especially liked the Meissen collection and the throne room, with its imposing baldachin.

From New York Times

The rosy-coloured damask curtains, which form a baldachin over it, are tied to the branches of enormous jasmine trees by heavy golden tassels.

From Project Gutenberg

Each wheel bears the image of the sun, and six pillars, surmounted by a golden drapery, form a sort of baldachin over the car.

From Project Gutenberg

The priest Mukhovetski carried the gilded monstrance; holding it with both hands above his face and sometimes raising it on high, he moved on under a baldachin, calm, with closed eyes and an ascetic face.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• beam
• plaster
• roof