Baldacchin

//ˈbaldəkɪn// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A rich, embroidered brocade used for clothing in the Middle Ages, the web being gold and the woof silk. archaic, uncountable
  2. 2
    A canopy suspended over an altar or throne, originally made of this fabric; a ciborium. countable

    "Bernini had already provided the chief coup de théâtre of the basilica's interior, the monumental bronze canopy or baldachino over the high altar and tomb of St Peter."

  3. 3
    A building in the form of a canopy, or a crown supported by pillars for the covering of an altar; a canopy carried over the host in Roman Catholic countries. countable

    "BALDACHIN is a Building in form of a Canopy, or Crown ſupported by Pillars, often ſerving for the Covering of an Altar; Alſo a Canopy carried over the Hoſt in Popiſh Countries."

Synonyms

All synonyms
tinsel

Example

More examples

"Bernini had already provided the chief coup de théâtre of the basilica's interior, the monumental bronze canopy or baldachino over the high altar and tomb of St Peter."

Etymology

Borrowed from French baldaquin, from Italian baldacchino, from Baldacca, a variant of Baghdad, where the material originally came from.

Related phrases

middle agesroman catholic

More for "baldacchin"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.