tabernacle

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tab·er·nac·le / ˈtabərˌnakəl/ • n. 1. (in biblical use) a fixed or movable habitation, typically of light construction. ∎  a tent used as a sanctuary for the Ark of the Covenant by the Israelites during the Exodus and until the building of the Temple.2. a meeting place for worship used by some Protestants or Mormons.3. an ornamented receptacle or cabinet in which a pyx or ciborium containing the reserved sacrament may be placed in Catholic churches, usually on or above an altar. ∎ archaic a canopied niche or recess in the wall of a church.4. a partly open socket or double post on a sailboat's deck into which a mast is fixed, with a pivot near the top so that the mast can be lowered.DERIVATIVES: tab·er·nac·led adj.ORIGIN: Middle English: via French from Latin tabernaculum ‘tent,’ diminutive of taberna ‘hut, tavern.’

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