| Chapel | n. [ OF. chapele, F. chapelle, fr. LL. capella, orig., a short cloak, hood, or cowl; later, a reliquary, sacred vessel, chapel; dim. of cappa, capa, cloak, cape, cope; also, a covering for the head. The chapel where St. Martin's cloak was preserved as a precious relic, itself came to be called capella, whence the name was applied to similar paces of worship, and the guardian of this cloak was called capellanus, or chaplain. See Cap, and cf. Chaplain., Chaplet. ] 1. A subordinate place of worship; as, (a) a small church, often a private foundation, as for a memorial; (b) a small building attached to a church; (c) a room or recess in a church, containing an altar. [ 1913 Webster ] ☞ In Catholic churches, and also in cathedrals and abbey churches, chapels are usually annexed in the recesses on the sides of the aisles. Gwilt. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. A place of worship not connected with a church; as, the chapel of a palace, hospital, or prison. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. In England, a place of worship used by dissenters from the Established Church; a meetinghouse. [ 1913 Webster ] 4. A choir of singers, or an orchestra, attached to the court of a prince or nobleman. [ 1913 Webster ] 5. (Print.) (a) A printing office, said to be so called because printing was first carried on in England in a chapel near Westminster Abbey. (b) An association of workmen in a printing office. [ 1913 Webster ]
Chapel of ease. (a) A chapel or dependent church built for the ease or a accommodation of an increasing parish, or for parishioners who live at a distance from the principal church. (b) A privy. (Law) --
Chapel master, a director of music in a chapel; the director of a court or orchestra. --
To build a chapel (Naut.), to chapel a ship. See Chapel, v. t., 2. --
To hold a chapel, to have a meeting of the men employed in a printing office, for the purpose of considering questions affecting their interests. [ 1913 Webster ]
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