Meaning & use
baldakin
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountablerareold-fashioned
a rich, heavy fabric woven with gold or silver threads, often used in the Middle Ages for ceremonial clothes or hangings.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the material: 'a robe of baldakin'. It can also be countable when referring to a specific piece of fabric or a canopy.
Patterns
- made of baldakin
- a baldakin robe
The medieval church was decorated with hangings of baldakin.
Only the wealthiest nobles could afford clothes made of baldakin.
nouncountablerareold-fashioned
a canopy or covering made of such fabric, often placed over a throne or altar.
Grammar: Countable: 'a baldakin' or 'baldakins'.
Patterns
- a baldakin over the throne
A baldakin was erected over the altar for the ceremony.
The king sat beneath a baldakin of red and gold.
Word forms
| plural | baldakins |
|---|
Common combinations
- cloth of baldakin
- The merchant sold cloth of baldakin to the royal court.
- baldakin canopy
- The throne was covered by a baldakin canopy.
- baldakin hangings
- The walls were adorned with baldakin hangings.
Synonyms and how they differ
- brocade
- Brocade is a similar rich fabric with raised patterns, but it does not necessarily contain gold or silver threads; baldakin specifically implies precious metal threads.
- cloth of gold
- This is a more common term for fabric woven with gold threads; baldakin is a rarer, historical synonym.
Commonly confused: baldakin or baldachin?
baldakin vs baldachin
This is the more common spelling in English for the same word, especially for the canopy. 'Baldakin' is an older variant.
Practice
In medieval times, a baldakin was a type of ______.
Choose one answer.
Baldakin refers to a rich fabric, often woven with gold or silver. It is not a weapon, dance, or building, though it can also mean a canopy made of such fabric.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “baldakin”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.