Altar of Repose

noun phrase

variants or altar of repose

: a side altar in a Roman Catholic church where the consecrated Host is reserved from Maundy Thursday until Good Friday : repository sense 2

The Blessed Sacrament, the consecrated bread Catholics believe is Christ's body, is placed in a tabernacle on an elaborately decorated side altar, known as the Altar of Repose.

—Mary Kunz Goldman

… members of … Christian churches throughout the world practiced the tradition of keeping vigil at the altar of repose, in preparation for today's Easter celebration.

—Ericka Pizzillo

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Altar of Repose

• agarose
• aliquots
• amigos
• anthracnose
• bottlenose
• buffaloes
• bungalows
• calicoes
• cameos
• commandos
• conversos
• decompose