reredos

noun

rere·​dos

ˈrer-ə-ˌdäs,

 also  ˈrir-ə-ˌdäs,

or

ˈrir-ˌdäs 

: a usually ornamental wood or stone screen or partition wall behind an altar

Illustration of reredos

Examples of reredos in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Restorer Sofia Lobo discovered the bee nests, called cells, while cleaning the 20-foot-tall altarpiece, or reredos. —Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French reredors, areredos, from arere behind + dos back, from Latin dorsum — more at arrear

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above