Mandorla
//mænˈdɔː(ɹ)lə// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A vesica piscis-shaped aureola that surrounds the figures of Christ and the Virgin Mary, or represents God the Father (who is not traditionally depicted) in traditional Eastern Christian art.
"In addition, the mandorla may be considered on a more primal level as an archetypically ritual shape that transcends conscious and intentional symbolism, thus falling under the category of the mandala."
Example
More examples"In addition, the mandorla may be considered on a more primal level as an archetypically ritual shape that transcends conscious and intentional symbolism, thus falling under the category of the mandala."
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian mandorla. Doublet of almond, amygdala, and amygdale.
Related phrases
More for "mandorla"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.