bema
[ bee-muh ]
noun,plural be·ma·ta [bee-muh-tuh], /ˈbi mə tə/, be·mas.
Eastern Church. the enclosed space surrounding the altar; the sanctuary or chancel.
(in a Christian basilica) an open space between the end of the nave arcade and the apse.
a platform for public speaking.
Origin of bema
11675–85; <Greek bêma step, platform, equivalent to bē- (verbid stem of baínein to step, go; see come) + -ma (noun suffix denoting result of action)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for bema
bema
bimah or bima
/ (ˈbiːmə) /
noun
the speaker's platform in the assembly in ancient Athens
Eastern Orthodox Church a raised area surrounding the altar in a church; the sanctuary
Judaism another word for almemar
Origin of bema
1C17: via Late Latin, from Greek bēma, from bainein to go
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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