tabernacle
gb/tˈæbɚnˌækəl/ us/tˈæbɚnˌækəl/
B2
English
~ 8600
tabernákulum, szentségház, frigysátor, szent sátor, imaház, test, a lélek hajléka, földi sátorház, dönthető árbóctalp
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
1
tabernákulum
C1
szentségház
C1
Usage pattern:
a tabernacle in [a church]
After Mass, the priest returned the remaining hosts to the tabernacle.
A mise után a pap visszatette a megmaradt szentostyákat a tabernákulumba.
A small red lamp burns beside the tabernacle to show that the Blessed Sacrament is present.
A tabernákulum mellett kis piros örökmécses ég, jelezve, hogy jelen van az Oltáriszentség.
The new church design places the tabernacle in a quiet side chapel for prayer.
Volunteers polished the brass door of the tabernacle before the Easter services.
Learner examples
The tabernacle is on the altar in this church.
Ebben a templomban a tabernákulum az oltáron van.
The priest puts the holy bread in the tabernacle.
A pap a szentostyát a tabernákulumba teszi.
People kneel and pray in front of the tabernacle.
The key to the tabernacle is kept in a safe place.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'tabernacle' means any part of the altar. In Catholic and similar traditions it is a separate, box-like container where consecrated hosts are stored, not the altar table itself.
Meaning
Box for consecrated hosts
Collocations
the tabernacle on the altar
|reserve in the tabernacle
|tabernacle lamp
|tabernacle door
|tabernacle key
|adoration before the tabernacle
Synonyms
sacrament house (More specific architectural term; used mainly in historical or liturgical contexts, less common in everyday church talk.)
Antonyms
cupboard (An ordinary storage space for everyday items, without the sacred, reserved purpose of a tabernacle.)
Themes
religion
|christianity
|worship
Definition
A special locked box in a church where the blessed communion bread is kept.
In many Catholic and some other Christian churches, a small locked box or safe, usually on or near the altar, where consecrated hosts are reserved.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
2
frigysátor
C1
szent sátor
B2
Usage pattern:
the Tabernacle in [the wilderness/desert]
According to Exodus, the Israelites built the Tabernacle in the wilderness as a dwelling place for God.
A Kivonulás könyve szerint az izraeliták a pusztában készítették el a frigysátrat, hogy Isten lakóhelye legyen.
The priesthood carried out sacrifices at the Tabernacle before the Temple was constructed in Jerusalem.
A jeruzsálemi templom felépítése előtt a papság a frigysátornál mutatott be áldozatokat.
The course includes a detailed study of the layout and symbolism of the Tabernacle.
Replicas of the Tabernacle are sometimes built to help students visualize Israelite worship.
Learner examples
The Tabernacle was a tent for worship in the desert.
A frigysátor istentiszteletre szolgáló sátor volt a pusztában.
In the Bible story, God tells Moses how to build the Tabernacle.
A bibliai történetben Isten elmondja Mózesnek, hogyan készítse el a frigysátrat.
The people move the Tabernacle when they travel.
Later, the Temple in Jerusalem replaced the Tabernacle.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes write 'a tabernacle' for this sense; in Bible contexts it is usually treated as a specific name and capitalized as 'the Tabernacle'. They may also confuse it with a normal tent, forgetting its sacred function.
Meaning
Biblical portable tent sanctuary
Collocations
the Tabernacle in the wilderness
|the Tabernacle of Moses
|Ark of the Tabernacle
|court of the Tabernacle
|Tabernacle worship
|construct the Tabernacle
Synonyms
portable sanctuary (Descriptive phrase often used in academic or explanatory writing; less specifically tied to the biblical proper name 'Tabernacle'.)
Antonyms
permanent temple (A fixed stone building for worship, contrasting with the temporary, portable nature of the biblical Tabernacle.)
Themes
religion
|history
|judaism
Definition
In the Bible, a special tent the Israelites carried and used as a place to meet and worship God before they had a stone temple.
In the Hebrew Bible, the portable tent-like sanctuary used by the Israelites as a place of worship and sacrifice before the building of the Temple in Jerusalem.
B2
3
imaház
B1
Usage pattern:
at the tabernacle in [place]
The choir performed its Christmas concert at the historic tabernacle downtown.
A kórus a karácsonyi koncertjét a belvárosi, történelmi imaházban adta.
They planted flowers along the walkway leading up to the tabernacle.
Virágokat ültettek az imaházhoz vezető járda mentén.
The revival meetings filled the tabernacle every night for a week.
The conference will be held in the main tabernacle rather than in the smaller chapel.
Learner examples
We go to the tabernacle every Sunday.
Minden vasárnap az imaházba járunk.
The big white tabernacle is close to the river.
A nagy fehér imaház közel van a folyóhoz.
Many people came to the tabernacle for the concert.
They built a new tabernacle for the growing church.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes assume that all churches can be called 'tabernacles'. In modern English, 'tabernacle' as a building is usually part of a proper name or used in certain traditions, not for every church.
Meaning
Large church or meeting hall
Collocations
the Salt Lake Tabernacle
|the Metropolitan Tabernacle
|tabernacle choir
|packed the tabernacle
|tabernacle roof
|tabernacle meeting
Synonyms
church (A very general word for a Christian place of worship; 'tabernacle' is narrower and often part of a specific congregation’s name.)
Antonyms
theater (A building for performances and entertainment, contrasting with a tabernacle’s focus on worship and religious meetings.)
Themes
religion
|buildings
|community
Definition
A big church building or hall where some Christian groups meet and worship.
A large Christian church or meeting hall, especially in some Protestant traditions, used for worship services and religious gatherings.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
4
Usage pattern:
the tabernacle of [the body/flesh]
He spoke of the aging body as a fragile tabernacle for an undying soul.
Úgy beszélt az öregedő testről, mint a halhatatlan lélek törékeny hajlékáról.
The sermon contrasted our earthly tabernacle with the hope of a heavenly home.
A prédikáció földi sátorházunkat állította szembe a mennyei otthon reményével.
In the poem, the tabernacle of flesh is described as temporary and easily broken.
The writer urged his readers not to worship the tabernacle of the body but to care for the life within it.
Learner examples
The pastor called the body a tabernacle for the soul.
A lelkész a testet a lélek hajlékának nevezte.
In this text, our tabernacle means our human body.
Ebben a szövegben a „sátorházunk” az emberi testünket jelenti.
The poem says this tabernacle is weak and short-lived.
Some people see the body as only a tabernacle for the spirit.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this sense in everyday speech, where it sounds very old-fashioned or overly religious. It is better kept for Bible study or literary analysis.
Meaning
Human body as soul’s dwelling
Collocations
earthly tabernacle
|this mortal tabernacle
|tabernacle of flesh
|tabernacle of the body
|tabernacle of clay
Synonyms
body (Plain, everyday term; 'tabernacle' is figurative, religious, and literary, emphasizing the body as a temporary dwelling.)
Antonyms
spirit (Represents the immaterial aspect of a person, contrasted with the physical 'tabernacle' that houses it.)
Themes
religion
|philosophy
|literature
|body
Definition
A literary way to say that the body is like a house where the soul lives for a short time.
The human body thought of as a temporary dwelling place for the soul or spirit.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
a tabernacle for [the mast]
The mast pivots in a tabernacle so that it can be lowered for passing under bridges.
Az árbóc egy dönthető árbóctalpban fordul el, így le lehet engedni, amikor hidak alatt kell áthaladni.
Before trailering the boat, they dropped the mast carefully into the tabernacle.
Mielőtt utánfutóra tették a hajót, óvatosan ledöntötték az árbócot a dönthető árbóctalpban.
Corrosion around the tabernacle bolts can be a serious safety issue on older yachts.
Learner examples
The mast of this boat sits in a tabernacle.
Ennek a hajónak az árbóca dönthető árbóctalpban áll.
We lower the mast in its tabernacle before we go under the bridge.
Mielőtt átmegyünk a híd alatt, leengedjük az árbócot a dönthető árbóctalpban.
Check the tabernacle bolts every year for rust.
A tabernacle makes the mast easy to move.
Common mistake:
Learners who know only the religious senses may be surprised to see 'tabernacle' in sailing texts and think it is a mistake. In boating, however, it is a standard technical term.
Meaning
Hinged mast support on a boat
Collocations
mast tabernacle
|hinged tabernacle
|fit the mast in the tabernacle
|tabernacle bolt
|tabernacle pin
|tabernacle base
Synonyms
mast step (General term for the base fitting of a mast; a 'tabernacle' is a specific type of mast step that is hinged to allow easy raising and lowering.)
Antonyms
keel-stepped mast (A mast type fixed down to the keel without a deck-level hinge, contrasting with a mast mounted in a hinged tabernacle.)
Themes
transport
|sailing
|engineering
|transportation
Definition
On a boat, a special metal or wooden support at the bottom of the mast that lets the mast go up and down.
On a boat or ship, a strong hinged support or socket at the base of a mast that allows the mast to be lowered or raised.
Grammar
Dictionary form
tabernacle
IPA
GB/tˈæbɚnˌækəl/
US/tˈæbɚnˌækəl/
Syllables & stress
tab - er - nacle (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (tab)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: tabernacle
- Plural: tabernacles
Word family
Forms
tabernacles
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.