Meanings
nounfrithstool (plural frithstools)
plural frithstools · alternative frith stool · alternative archaic obsolete fridstoll · alternative archaic obsolete fridstol · alternative archaic obsolete fridstool · alternative archaic obsolete frithstow
- historicalAn Anglo-Saxon stone seat, placed near the altar of a church, which afforded protection to those seeking sanctuary.
Origin
From frith + stool. Compare Old English friþstōl (“place of safety; refuge”).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
frithstool. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frithstool
MLA
“frithstool.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frithstool. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “frithstool,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frithstool.
Source: frithstool on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.