Credence Table
Preserved but no longer current.
The table near the altar on which the bread and wine are deposited before they are consecrated. In former times food was placed on a credence- table to be tasted previously to its being set before the guests. This was done to assure the guests that the meat was not poisoned. (Ital. credenza, a shelf or buffet.) Credit Foncier (kra' de fong' si a).
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 “Credence Table” mean?
The table near the altar on which the bread and wine are deposited before they are consecrated. In former times food was placed on a credence- table to be tasted previously to its being set before the guests. This was done to assure the guests that the meat was not poisoned. (Ital. credenza, a shelf or buffet.) Credit Foncier (kra' de fong' si a).
Is “Credence Table” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.