chancel of a church
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
That part of a church which contains the altar, and the seats set apart for the choir. It is generally raised a step or more above the floor of the nave.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “chancel of a church” mean?
That part of a church which contains the altar, and the seats set apart for the choir. It is generally raised a step or more above the floor of the nave.
Is “chancel of a church” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.