noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   An Anglo-Saxon stone seat, placed near the altar of a church, which afforded protection to those seeking sanctuary. historical

Etymology

From frith + stool. Compare Old English friþstōl (“place of safety; refuge”).

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