baldachin

/ˈbȯl-də-kən ˈbal-/ (ame, mw)

baldachin — noun

1. A decorative cloth cover held above a ruler, priest, or holy object during a pub

1.名詞C2
釋義

A decorative cloth cover held above a ruler, priest, or holy object during a public ceremony.

例句

During the procession, four students carried the baldachin above the silver cross.

carry a baldachin above + sacred object

The bishop walked slowly under a red baldachin as the choir sang.

under a baldachin

同義詞
  • canopy

    broader everyday word for any cover above a bed, door, or person

  • processional canopy

    more explicit phrase for a ceremonial cover carried in a religious parade

  • covering

    very general term that does not suggest ceremony or status

文法句型

under a baldachin

carry a baldachin over + noun phrase

用法筆記

Mostly used in historical, royal, or church writing rather than everyday speech. This sense refers to a movable cloth cover used in a ceremony, not a permanent building feature.

常見錯誤

❌The church built a baldachin of stone above the altar.
✅The church built a stone baldachin above the altar.
💡Sense 1 is a cloth cover; a permanent structure belongs to sense 3.

2. A luxurious silk material decorated with gold thread and heavy embroidery, espec

2.名詞C2
釋義

A luxurious silk material decorated with gold thread and heavy embroidery, especially in older church or royal settings.

例句

The tailor showed Ada some baldachin woven with gold flowers for the chapel curtain.

baldachin woven with gold

The palace records mention baldachin imported from Italy for royal robes.

同義詞
  • brocade

    close in meaning; usually names richly patterned cloth woven with raised designs

  • silk

    much broader term for the fibre or cloth, without the idea of rich decoration

  • fabric

    general everyday word that does not imply luxury or gold thread

文法句型

some baldachin

baldachin used for + noun phrase

用法筆記

Mostly appears in museum, art-history, or older historical writing. In ordinary modern English, people usually call the material silk, brocade, or fabric instead.

常見錯誤

❌The room had baldachin above the bed.
✅The room had a canopy above the bed.
💡Sense 2 names the fabric, not the finished overhead structure.

3. A permanent decorative canopy-like structure built above an altar, tomb, or othe

3.名詞C2
釋義

A permanent decorative canopy-like structure built above an altar, tomb, or other important sacred place.

例句

Stone columns held the baldachin above the main altar in the chapel.

baldachin above the altar

Tourists photographed the bronze baldachin before the evening service began.

同義詞
  • canopy

    general word for an overhead cover, without the strong church or historical sense

  • ciborium

    more precise church-architecture term for a canopy standing above an altar

  • tester

    usually refers to a canopy over a bed or throne rather than above an altar

文法句型

a baldachin above + altar

stone/bronze/wooden baldachin

用法筆記

Often refers to a fixed architectural feature above an altar or tomb. Distinguish it from sense 1, which can be carried in a ceremony, and from sense 2, which names the fabric itself.

常見錯誤

❌Four people carried the baldachin into the square.
✅Four people carried a cloth canopy into the square.
💡Sense 3 is a fixed structure; a carried ceremonial cover belongs to sense 1.