Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.
| abbey | a building inhabited by a community of monks or nuns governed by an abbot or abbess. |
| adytum | the sacred part of a temple or church; a church chancel > ADYTA. |
| aisle | a side division of the nave or other part of a church or similar building, generally separated off by pillars. |
| aisled | having AISLES. |
| aisleless | without an aisle. |
| almemar | a rostrum in a synagogue, a BEMA. |
| almery aumbry awmrie awmry ambery ambry | a recess for church vessels, a cupboard. |
| altar | a raised structure used in worship. |
| altarwise | in the proper position of an altar, that is, at the east of a church with its ends towards the north and south. |
| dorsel dossal dossel | a cloth hanging for the back of an altar. |
| ambery | see ALMERY. |
| ambry | see ALMERY. |
| ambulatory | an aisle down the east end of a church, behind the altar. |
| antechapel | an anteroom to a chapel or church. |
| antechoir | the space in front of the CHOIR in a church. |
| apse | a rounded extension at the end of a building, especially at the east end of a church. |
| apsidal | having shape of an APSE; pertaining to an APSIS. |
| apsidiole | a subsidiary APSE, a rounded extension at end of building, especially at east end of church. |
| ashram asrama | the dwelling of a Hindu religious philosopher. |
| aumbry | see ALMERY. |
| awmrie | see ALMERY. |
| awmry | see ALMERY. |
| baptistery baptistry | that part of a church (or, formerly, a separate building adjacent to a church) used for baptism. |
| basilic | pertaining to a BASILICA. |
| basilica | a large oblong hall with double colonnades and a semicircular apse; a Roman Catholic church with honorific privileges > BASILICAS or BASILICAE. |
| basilical basilican | of, relating to, or resembling, a BASILICA. |
| beadhouse bedehouse | a house for prayer, a CHAPEL. |
| belfried | having a BELFRY. |
| belfry | the part of a church housing the bells. |
| bema bima bimah | a synagogue platform > BEMAS or BEMATA; BIMAS, BIMAHS. |
| bethel | a place of worship for seamen; a nonconformist chapel. [Hebrew 'house of god']. |
| bethesda | a Nonconformist church building. |
| bima bimah | see BEMA. |
| calefactory | a monastery sitting room. |
| campanile | a freestanding bell tower on church property > CAMPANILI or CAMPANILES. |
| cantorial cantoris | located on the north side of the choir in a church. |
| capitol | a citadel on top of a hill; esp. the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, on the Saturnian or Tarpeian (later called Capitoline) Hill at Rome. |
| cathedra | the chair or throne of office of a bishop or other high official > CATHEDRAS or CATHEDRAE. |
| cathedral | the principal church in a diocese, so called because in it the bishop has his official chair (cathedra). |
| cella | the inner chamber of a classical temple > CELLAE. |
| cenacle coenacle | the room where the Last Supper was eaten; also, a clique or circle, especially of writers |
| chancel | the part of a church containing the altar and seats for choir. |
| chantry chauntry | a chapel or altar built for prayers for its benefactor's soul. |
| chapel | a place of Christian worship in a larger building, esp. a place set apart, with a separate altar, in a church or cathedral. |
| chapterhouse | the building attached to a cathedral, collegiate church, or religious house in which the chapter meets. |
| chevet | the east end of (especially French Gothic) church or chancel. |
| choirstall | one of fixed seats in the choir of a church, generally of carved wood. |
| chorten | a Buddhist shrine. |
| church | a building designed for public forms of worship, esp. Christian worship; (verb) to bring someone to church. |
| churchless | without a church. |
| churchliness | the state of being CHURCHLY, resembling a church. |
| churchly | resembling a church > CHURCHLIER, CHURCHLIEST. |
| churchy | associated with or reminiscent of churches > CHURCHIER, CHURCHIEST. |
| ciborium | a freestanding canopy to cover an altar; a vessel for holding eucharistic bread > CIBORIA or CIBORIUMS. |
| claustral cloistral | of, like, or characteristic of a CLOISTER. |
| clearstory clerestory | the upper storey of a church; windows near the roof of a building. |
| cloister | a covered arcade forming part of a monastic or collegiate establishment. |
| conclave | the room in which cardinals meet to elect a pope; any secret assembly. |
| convent | a place for nuns; (verb, arch.) to be suitable for. |
| covent | a CONVENT. |
| crypt | an underground cell or chapel. |
| cryptal | pertaining to or like a crypt. |
| dagaba dagoba | a dome-shaped structure built over relics of Buddha or some Buddhist saint. |
| darbar | a hall in a Sikh temple. |
| darga dargah durgah | a structure over a place where a holy person was buried or cremated. |
| decani | the dean's (south) side of a choir, as opposed to the CANTORIS side. |
| delubrum | a font, a temple or shrine having a font > DELUBRUMS or DELUBRA. |
| dharmsala dharmshala | a building having a religious or charitable purpose, a free or cheap lodging for travellers. |
| diaconicon | a sacristy for sacred vessels in Orthodox churches > DIACONICONS. |
| duomo | a cathedral > DUOMI or DUOMOS. |
| durgah | see DARGA. |
| ebenezer | a memorial stone set up by Samuel after the victory of Mizpeh; a chapel or religious meeting place. [Hebrew eben-ha-ezedr, stone of help]. |
| exedra exhedra | a semicircular bench beside an episcopal throne; an outdoor bench or recess > EXEDRAE or EXEDRAS, EXHEDRAE. |
| faldistory | the throne or seat of a bishop within the chancel. |
| faldstool | a prayer desk from which the Litany is read at church service; a bishop's round armless chair. |
| fane | a temple. |
| fenestella | a recess in church wall for storing communion vessels > FENESTELLAS or FENESTELLAE. |
| feretory | a (portable) shrine containing the relics of a saint; a small room or chapel in which shrines were deposited. |
| frithstool | a seat in churches near the altar, to which offenders formerly fled for sanctuary. |
| galilee | a small chapel or porch at western end of some medieval English churches. |
| gargoyle gurgoyle | a carved face on a church to keep away evil spirits. |
| genizah | a room adjoining a synagogue used to store old or damaged books > GENIZAHS, GENIZOT, GENIZOTH. |
| gompa | a Buddhist temple or monastery in Tibet. |
| gopura gopuram | in Southern India, a pyramidal tower over the gateway of a temple. |
| gradin gradine | a raised step or ledge behind an altar. |
| gradino | a decoration for an altar GRADIN > GRADINI. |
| gurdwara | a Sikh place of worship which includes a place where the scripture is housed. [Punjabi from Skr. guru, teacher, + dvara, door]. |
| hagioscope | an opening cut in the wall of a church to enable viewing of the altar. |
| iconostas iconostasis | in Eastern churches, a screen separating the sanctuary from the nave. Pl. in both cases ICONOSTASES. |
| jube | a rood-loft, or screen and gallery. [L. imperative of jubere, to command]. |
| kirk | church; (verb) to bring to church. |
| kirkton | the village in which the parish church stands. |
| kirkyaird kirkyard | a churchyard. |
| kiva | an underground chamber used in religious rites by Pueblo Indians. [Hopi]. |
| lamaserai lamasery | a monastery or convent of lamas, in Tibet, Mongolia, etc. |
| langar | a dining hall in a GURDWARA. |
| laura lavra | a group of huts or cells inhabited by reclusive monks in Egypt and the Middle East > LAURAE or LAURAS; LAVRAS. |
| lectern lecturn lettern | a reading desk or support in a church. |
| lichgate lychgate | the roofed gate of a churchyard. |
| mandir mandira | a Hindu or Jain temple. |
| mani | a stone prayer wall in a Tibetan Buddhist temple, usu. carved with sacred images or texts > MANIES or MANIS. |
| manse | a house allocated to or occupied by a minister, esp. in the Church of Scotland. |
| martyrium | a shrine erected in memory of a martyr > MARTYRIA. |
| martyry | a shrine, chapel or monument in memmory of a martyr. |
| masjid musjid | a mosque. |
| mechitza | a screen in a synagogue separating men and women > MECHITZAS or MECHITZOT. |
| megachurch | a church, usually Protestant, with a very large congregation, typically housed in a complex offering sophisticated multimedia presentations and a range of secular facilities and services. |
| meetinghouse | the place in which certain religious groups, esp. Quakers, hold their meetings for worship. |
| mihrab | a niche or slab in a mosque marking the direction of Mecca. |
| mikva | a place for ritual bathing by Orthodox Jews > MIKVAS. |
| mikvah | a place for ritual bathing by Orthodox Jews > MIKVAHS or MIKVOTH. |
| mikveh | a place for ritual bathing by Orthodox Jews > MIKVEHS, MIKVOS or MIKVOT. |
| mimbar minbar | a mosque pulpit. |
| minaret | a tall tower or turret connected with a mosque, from which a muezzin calls at hours of prayer. [Arabic manarat, from nar, fire]. |
| minareted | having a MINARET. |
| minbar | see MIMBAR. |
| minster | a church associated with a monastery. |
| misericord misericorde | a bracket on a turn-up seat in a choirstall, allowing the user some support when standing. |
| monastery | the residence of a religious community, esp. of monks, living in seclusion from secular society and bound by religious vows. |
| monopteral | resembling a MONOPTERON. |
| monopteron | a circular temple with one ring of columns > MONOPTERA. |
| mosk mosque | an Islamic temple. |
| naos | the inner cell of a temple > NAOI or NAOSES. |
| narthex | a small entrance or porch to a church. |
| nave | the largest part of a church, where the congregation sits. |
| nef | a church nave. |
| nunnery | the convent or religious house of a community of nuns. |
| nymphaeum | a temple, sanctuary or grotto of the nymphs > NYMPHAEA or NYMPHAEUMS. |
| oratory | a small chapel for private prayer. |
| pagod pagoda | an Eastern temple, esp. in the form of a many-storeyed tapering tower. [Persian butkhada, idol temple]. |
| pantheon | a temple dedicated to all the gods, or where images or other memorials of all the gods of a nation are collected. [After Pantheon, a domed circular temple in Rome, built c. 120 AD]. |
| parabema | in Byzantine architecture, a chapel walled off from the BEMA > PARABEMATA. |
| parclose | a railing in a church enclosing altar, chapel or tomb. |
| parsonage | the home of a parson. |
| parvis parvise | an enclosed area, often surrounded with colonnades or porticoes, in front of a building, esp. a cathedral or church. |
| pastorium | the home of a pastor > PASTORIUMS. |
| peculiar | strange > PECULIARLY; (noun) a parish or church exempt from the jurisdiction of the diocese in which it lies > PECULIARS. |
| penetralia | the innermost or most private parts, esp. of a temple or palace; hidden things or secrets. |
| penetralian | relating to PENETRALIA, the innermost or most private parts e.g. of a temple. |
| pew | a bench in a church. |
| piscina | a basin set in wall of church to drain away ceremonial water > PISCINAE or PISCINAS. |
| piscinal | belonging to a fishpond or a PISCINA. |
| poppyhead | a raised ornament on top of the upright end of seats in churches. |
| precinct | a space, esp an enclosed one, around a building (e.g. a cathedral, college, etc). |
| predella | a platform for an altar; a portable altar or decoration upon it > PREDELLAS or PREDELLE. |
| priory | a monastery or convent governed by a prior or prioress. |
| procathedral | a parish church serving as a cathedral. |
| pronaos | a vestibule in front of a temple > PRONAOI. |
| proseucha | a place of prayer, an oratory > PROSEUCHAE. |
| proseuche | a place of prayer, an oratory > PROSEUCHAE. |
| pulpit | a raised structure for preaching from. |
| pulpital | relating to a PULPIT. |
| pulpited | having a PULPIT. |
| pulpitum | a gigantic stone screen separating cathedral choir from the nave > PULPITUMS. |
| purgatory | a place or state in which souls are after death purified from venial sins. |
| rectory | a minister's or priest's house. |
| refectory | the dining-hall of a monastery or other institution. |
| repository | a side altar in a Catholic church. |
| reredorse reredos reredosse | a usually ornamental wood/stone screen or wall behind an altar > REREDOSES, REREDOSSES. |
| retable retablo | a shelf or ornamental setting for panels behind an altar. |
| retrochoir | the part of a cathedral or large church behind the high altar. |
| revestiary revestry | a vestry. |
| rood | a cross or crucifix at the entrance to a church chancel. |
| sacrarial | of or like a SACRARIUM. |
| sacrarium | the sanctuary or sacristy (room housing sacred vessels) of a church; a piscina (stone basin for ablutions) > SACRARIA or SACRARIUMS. |
| sacristy | a room in a church where sacred objects are kept. |
| sanctum | a sacred place; a very private room > SANCTA or SANCTUMS. |
| schul shul | a synagogue > SCHULN or SCHULS; SHULS or SHULN. |
| scriptorium | a writing room, especially of scribes in medieval monastery > SCRIPTORIA or SCRIPTORIUMS. |
| sedile sedilium | a kind of seat in a church, usu. in pl > SEDILIA. |
| sekos | a sacred enclosure in an ancient Egyptian temple > SEKOSES. |
| sepulcher sepulchre | a receptacle in an altar for holding religious relics; (verb) to place in a sepulcher. |
| sepulchrous | of or like a SEPULCHRE. |
| shrinal | relating to a SHRINE. |
| shrine | a place of worship hallowed by association with a sacred person or object, esp. the tomb of a saint or other holy person; (verb) to build a shrine to. |
| shrinelike | like a SHRINE. |
| shul | see SCHUL. |
| spireless | without a spire. |
| stasidion | a stall in a Greek church > STASIDIONS. |
| stupa | a mound or monument commemorative of Buddha. |
| subsellium | one of the stalls of the lower range where there are two ranges > SUBSELLIA. |
| succah sukkah | a hut or shelter roofed with branches, used by Jews as a temporary living accommodation during Sukkoth, the Festival of the Tabernacles > SUCCAHS. SUCCOT or SUCCOTH; SUKKOT, SUKKOTH or SUKKAHS. |
| synagog synagogue | a Jewish church. [Gk. synagoge, from syn, together + agoge, a bringing, from agein to lead]. |
| synagogal | relating to a SYNAGOG, a Jewish church. |
| synthronus | the seat of a bishop and his presbyters, behind the altar > SYNTHRONI. |
| tabernacle | the tent carried by the Jews through the desert, used as a temple and to house the Ark of the Covenant; a tent or movable hut; (verb) to sojourn. |
| temenos | a place dedicated to a god; a sacred precinct > TEMENE. |
| temple | a building or place dedicated to the worship of a deity or deities. |
| templed | supplied with or inclosed in a TEMPLE. |
| teocalli | an ancient Mexican or Central American place of worship, usually consisting of a truncated pyramid surmounted by a temple > TEOCALLIS. [Nahuatl teotl, god + calli, house]. |
| teopan | a TEOCALLI, an Aztec pyramid temple. |
| theologate | a seminary for RC priests. |
| toran torana | in the Indian subcontinent, a sacred Buddhist gateway. |
| torii | a Shinto temple gateway. No —S. |
| transenna | a screen enclosing a SHRINE > TRANSENNAS. [L. transenna, trellis]. |
| transept | the part of a church off to one side of main structure. |
| transeptal | of or like a TRANSEPT, the part of a church off to one side of main structure. |
| transepted | having a transept. |
| triapsal triapsidal | having three APSES. |
| undercroft | an underground room or vault, esp under a church; a CRYPT. |
| vestral | relating to a VESTRY. |
| vestry | a priest's dressing room. |
| vicarage | the habitation of a vicar. |
| vihara | a Buddhist or Jain temple or precinct. |
| vimana | in the Indian subcontinent, the central tower enclosing the shrine in a temple. |
| wat | a Thai Buddhist temple or monastery. |
| wicket | a small door forming part of larger door of a church or castle. |