Chapel
/ˈtʃæpəl/
Definitions
A small building or room used for Christian worship.
/ˈtʃæpəl/
A small building for Christian worship, typically one attached to a larger church or cathedral.
They got married in a beautiful mountain chapel.
💡 Simply: Imagine a tiny church, maybe attached to a bigger one. That's a chapel! It's a place where people go to pray and have religious services.
👶 For kids: It's like a little church!
More Examples
The students gathered in the chapel for a special service.
How It's Used
"The wedding ceremony took place in a small, quaint chapel."
"The school chapel was used for daily morning prayers."
From Old French chapele, diminutive of cape 'cloak, cape', referring to a small cloak-like covering over an altar. Ultimately from Latin cappa.
Historically, chapels were often built as private places of worship for royalty or nobles, later expanding to university campuses and hospitals.
Memory tip
Think 'chap' as in a friendly person, and 'el' as in small. A small place for friendly Christian worship.
Word Origin
"cloak, cape (referring to the covering over an altar)"