What does "tabernacle" mean?
Any temporary dwelling; a hut, tent, or booth.
Tabernacle
/ˈtæbɚnækl̩/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any temporary dwelling; a hut, tent, or booth.
- Grammar: tabernacle is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: agnus dei, ark, asperger, asperges.
- Useful contrasts: abandon, depart, dismantle.
- Usage evidence: As the Lord commanded Moses. And Aaron put it in the tabernacle to be kept.
How to use "tabernacle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tabernacle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tabernacle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tabernacle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tabernacle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tabernacle" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "agnus dei" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tabernacle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any temporary dwelling; a hut, tent, or booth.
"The tabernacles of robbers proſper, and they that prouoke God are ſecure, into whoſe hand God bringeth abundantly."
- 2 (Judaism) the place of worship for a Jewish congregation wordnet
- 3 The portable tent used before the construction of the temple, where the shekinah (presence of God) was believed to dwell.
"[…]ſo Moſes finiſhed the worke. Then a cloud couered the Tent of the Congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. And Moſes was not able to enter into the Tent of the Congregation, becauſe the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. And when the cloud was taken vp from ouer the Tabernacle, the children of Iſrael went onward in all their iourneys: But if the cloud were not taken vp, then they iourneyed not, till the day that it was taken vp. For the cloud of the Lord was vpon the Tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the ſight of all the houſe of Iſrael, throughout all their iourneys."
- 4 (Judaism) a portable sanctuary in which the Jews carried the Ark of the Covenant on their exodus wordnet
- 5 The Jewish Temple at Jerusalem (as continuing the functions of the earlier tabernacle). broadly
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 Any portable shrine used in heathen or idolatrous worship.
- 7 A sukkah, the booth or 'tabernacle' used during the Jewish Feast of Sukkot.
- 8 A small ornamented cupboard or box used for the reserved sacrament of the Eucharist, normally located in an especially prominent place in a church.
"The tabernacle is to be situated "in churches in a most worthy place with the greatest honor." The dignity, placing, and security of the Eucharistic tabernacle should foster adoration before the Lord really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar."
- 9 A temporary place of worship, especially a tent, for a tent meeting, as with a venue for revival meetings.
"It was over these innocent necessary precautions that the local committees always showed their meanness. They liked giving over only one contribution to the evangelist, but they wanted nothing said about it till they themselves had been taken care of--till the rent of the hall or the cost of building a tabernacle, the heat, the lights, the advertising, and other expenses had been paid."
- 10 Any house of worship, especially a Mormon meetinghouse. broadly
- 11 Any abode or dwelling place, or especially the human body as the temporary dwelling place of the soul, or life. figuratively
- 12 A hinged device allowing for the easy folding of a mast 90 degrees from perpendicular, as for transporting the boat on a trailer, or passing under a bridge.
Verb
- 1 To dwell; to abide for a time. intransitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A place name in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Coffee County, Alabama.
- 2 A place name in the United States:; A township in Burlington County, New Jersey.
- 3 A place name in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Mathews County, Virginia.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"As the Lord commanded Moses. And Aaron put it in the tabernacle to be kept."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tabernacle"?
Common synonyms include: agnus dei, ark, asperger, asperges, aspergillum, bambino.
How do you use "tabernacle" in a sentence?
As the Lord commanded Moses. And Aaron put it in the tabernacle to be kept.
How do you pronounce "tabernacle"?
Pronounced /ˈtæbɚnækl̩/.
Etymology
From Middle English tabernacle (14th century), from Old French tabernacle, from Latin tabernāculum (“tent, booth, shed”), the diminutive of taberna (“hut, shed”).