semantron

noun

se·​man·​tron

sə̇ˈman‧ˌträn

plural -s

: a wooden plank or an iron bar that gives a sound like a gong when struck with a mallet and that takes the place of a bell in Eastern Orthodox churches

Word History

Etymology

Late Greek sēmantron sign, signal, semantron, from Greek, seal, sign, from sēmainein to signify

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

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