English → Latin
“altar” in Latin
āraaltar; sanctuary, refugealtārealtar, fitting for burnt offeringscōnsecrōTo consecrate or dedicate; To hallow or sanctify; To deify
The English word altar itself goes back to Latin altāre.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
altar
ara (general term, whether made of stone or of earth, turf, etc.): altaria, altarium (a high altar: an ara, with an apparatus for burnt-offerings: altare, altarium, in sing., belong to a later age). A little altar, arula: to build an altar, aram statuere (general term), deo facere aram (to a deity). To dedicate an altar, aram dicare, consecrare (Cic.). To swear before an altar, aram tenentem jurare (the parson who swore, touched the altar). To make anybody swear before an altar, altaribus admotum jurejurando adigerealiquem. To fly to the altars, ad (in) aras confugere: to drag from the altars, ab ipsis aris detrahere: and slay, ab altaribus ad necem transferre. The sacrament of the altar, *cena Domini; *cena or meusa sacra; eucharistia (Scriptores Ecclesiastici). Vid: SACRAMENT.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for altar?
- The usual Latin words for “altar” are āra, altāre, cōnsecrō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.