: a usually ornamental wood or stone screen or partition wall behind an altar
Illustration of reredos
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebRestorer Sofia Lobo discovered the bee nests, called cells, while cleaning the 20-foot-tall altarpiece, or reredos.—Theresa Machemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reredos.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French reredors, areredos, from arere behind + dos back, from Latin dorsum — more at arrear
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