Definition

1. Noun:
   • An ornamental hanging of rich fabric: A decorative textile, often made of rich material like velvet, silk, or embroidered cloth, designed to be hung as a backdrop.
   • A liturgical furnishing: Specifically, such a hanging placed behind the altar in a church or at the sides of the chancel area, serving both a decorative and sometimes symbolic purpose in Christian worship spaces.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The new dossal behind the altar was made of deep blue velvet with golden thread.
  • During the restoration, the historic dossal was carefully cleaned and rehung.

Advanced Usage

• "Altar dossal": A specific term emphasizing its location and function behind the altar.

  • The intricate embroidery on the altar dossal depicted scenes from the life of Christ.

• "Lenten dossal": A dossal of a specific color, such as purple, used during the Lenten season.

  • The purple Lenten dossal was exchanged for a white one for Easter.

Variants and Related Words

• Dossel (n): An alternative, less common spelling for "dossal."
• Reredos (n): A related but distinct architectural feature; an altarpiece or screen, often of carved stone or wood, behind an altar. A dossal is a textile hanging, while a reredos is typically a solid structure.

Synonyms

• Altar hanging: A general term for decorative fabrics behind an altar.
• Antependium: A related liturgical textile that hangs on the front of an altar, not behind it.
• Backcloth: A general term for a hanging cloth at the back of a stage or similar space, used in a secular context.

Related Phrases

(Note: "Dossal" is a specific noun and does not form standard phrasal verbs or idioms.)

• "To hang a dossal": The action of installing the ornamental fabric.
  • The volunteers helped to hang the dossal for the special ceremony.

Noun

1. an ornamental hanging of rich fabric hung behind the altar of a church or at the sides of a chancel