lectern

[ lek-tern ]
See synonyms for lectern on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a reading desk in a church on which the Bible rests and from which the lessons are read during the church service.

  2. a stand with a slanted top, used to hold a book, speech, manuscript, etc., at the proper height for a reader or speaker.

Origin of lectern

1
1275–1325; earlier lectron(e), late Middle English lectryn<Medieval Latin lēctrīnum, derivative of lēctrum lectern, equivalent to Latin leg(ere) to read + -trum instrumental suffix; replacing Middle English letroun, lettorne<Middle French letrun<Medieval Latin lēctrum, as above

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lectern in a sentence

  • Lawyers arguing before them find quill pens at the lecterns.

  • Bosses and other raised metal work should be restricted to books that will be used on lecterns or reading desks.

  • On the other hand, at Saint Ouen at Rouen, this word indicates a row of bookcases, probably lecterns.

    The Care of Books | John Willis Clark
  • These numbers, compared with those mentioned above at Zutphen, indicate lecterns.

    The Care of Books | John Willis Clark
  • In the next century this room was assigned to teaching purposes, and the lecterns were either removed or destroyed.

    The Care of Books | John Willis Clark
  • The fine lecterns which are placed in the centres of the choirs are often good examples of carving.

British Dictionary definitions for lectern

lectern

/ (ˈlɛktən) /


noun
  1. a reading desk or support in a church

  2. any similar desk or support

Origin of lectern

1
C14: from Old French lettrun, from Late Latin lectrum, ultimately from legere to read

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