Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
noundesk or stand with a slanted top used to hold a text at the proper height for a lecturer
Similar
reading desk
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinlegō“to read”
- Late Latinlectrum
- Medieval Latinlectrinum
- Old Frenchleitrun
- Middle Englishlettorne
- Englishlectern
15th century partial re-Latinization of early 14th century Middle English lettorne, lettron, from Old French leitrun, from Medieval Latin lectrinum, from Late Latin lectrum, from lectus (from whence also lecture), form of Latin legō (“to read”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan faristol, faristol
- faristola stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- faristola similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Chinese Mandarin 誦經臺 /诵经台, 講桌 /讲桌
- 誦經臺 /诵经台a stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- 講桌 /讲桌 (jiǎngzhuō)a similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Czech ambona, řečnický pultík
- ambonaa stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- řečnický pultíka similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Dutch lessenaar
- lessenaara similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Esperanto pupitro
- pupitroa stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
Finnish lukuteline, puhujapönttö
- lukutelinea stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- puhujapönttöa similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
- lehteria similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
French lutrin, pupitre
- lutrina stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- pupitrea similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
German Pult, Lesepult
- Pulta stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- Lesepulta stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- Chorpulta stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- Rednerpulta stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- Pulta similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Greek αναλόγιο
- αναλόγιο (analógio)a stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
Irish léachtán
- léachtána stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
Italian leggio, leggio
- leggioa stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- leggioa similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Norwegian Bokmål kateter, talerstol
- katetera stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- talerstola similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
- podiuma similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Polish pulpit, mównica
- pulpita similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
- mównicaa similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Portuguese atril, leitoril
- atrila stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- leitorila stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- púlpitoa stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- atrila similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
- leitorila similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
- púlpitoa similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Russian анало́й, ка́федра
- анало́й (analój)a stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- ка́федра (káfedra)a similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
- пюпи́тр (pjupítr)a similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
- пульт (pulʹt)a similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Spanish atril, retril
- atrila stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- retrila stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- facistola stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- atrila similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
- retrila similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
- facistola similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Swedish predikstol, talarstol
- predikstola stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- talarstola similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
- podiuma similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Tagalog atril, pasistol
- atrila stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- pasistola stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
Turkish kürsü, rahle
- kürsüa stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- rahlea stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- kürsüa similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Ukrainian анало́й, пюпі́тр
- анало́й (analój)a stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- пюпі́тр (pjupítr)a similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
- ка́тедра (kátedra)a similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Welsh darllenfa, darllenfa
- darllenfaa stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service
- darllenfaa similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
- darlithella similar stand to support a lecturer's notes
Cite this entry
APA
lectern. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lectern
MLA
“lectern.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lectern. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lectern,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lectern.
Source: lectern on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.