Meanings
plural epistle sides · alternative Epistle side
- lifestyleThe right side of an altar or church from the perspective of a person looking from the nave toward the chancel.
the Consecrating Bishop washes his hands, and goes up to the Altar; and the newly consecrated goes to the Epistle side of the same Altar, and having there a Missal placed for him, he accompanies the Consecrating Bishop through the remaining part of the Mass.
1848, anonymous author, The Rite of the Consecration of a Bishop in the Catholic Church
Origin
Traditionally, the Epistle is read from this side.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
epistle side. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistle%20side
“epistle side.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistle%20side. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “epistle side,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epistle%20side.
Source: epistle side on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.