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bal·da·chin

(bôldə-kĭn, băl-) also bal·da·chi·no (băl′də-kēnō)

n. pl. bal·da·chins also bal·da·chi·nos

1. A rich fabric of silk and gold brocade.

a. A canopy of fabric carried in church processions or placed over an altar, throne, or dais.

b. A structure having the form of a canopy, usually built of stone or bronze, over the altar of a church.

[Italian baldacchino, from Old Italian, from Baldacco, Baghdad (where rich brocade was woven in medieval times).]

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baldachin

Waterford Cathedral

Waterford, Ireland

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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