Iconostasis
/ˌaɪ.kəˈnɒs.tə.sɪs/noun
A screen or partition in Eastern Christian churches, covered with icons, that separates the nave from the sanctuary.
Did you know?Iconostasis comes from Greek roots meaning “image” and “standing,” reflecting a real architectural and liturgical boundary where sacred images mediate between the congregation and the altar.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
eikōn
“image, likeness, portrait”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-stasis
“a standing, a placing, a position”
Byzantine Greek
Greek
eikonostasion
“an icon-screen or partition of icons”
19th Century
English
iconostasis
“the screen of icons separating the sanctuary in an Eastern church”
Modern English
English
iconostasis
“the icon-covered screen in Eastern Christian churches”