[ 'tabəˌnak(ə)l ]
■ noun
1》 (in biblical use) a fixed or movable dwelling, typically of light construction.
↘a tent used as a sanctuary for the Ark of the Covenant by the Israelites during the Exodus.
2》 a meeting place for Nonconformist or Mormon worship.
3》 an ornamented receptacle or cabinet in which a pyx containing the reserved sacrament may be placed in Catholic churches.
↘ archaic a canopied recess in the wall of a church.
4》 a partly open socket on a sailing boat's deck into which a mast is fixed, with a pivot so that the mast can be lowered.
Derivatives
~d adjective
Origin
ME: via Fr. from L. tabernaculum 'tent', dimin. of taberna 'hut, tavern'.