lectern

noun

lec·​tern ˈlek-tərn How to pronounce lectern (audio)
: a stand used to support a book or script in a convenient position for a standing reader or speaker
especially : one from which scripture lessons are read in a church service

Examples of lectern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Marking her 306th time at the briefing room lectern, Jean-Pierre took a moment from the day’s big news, the ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas, to reflect on her tenure. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2025 Throughout the 1760s, patriots met there to protest royal taxes, and in 1773, Samuel Adams initiated the Boston Tea Party from the hall’s lectern. Michael Snyder, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2025 There are the three podiums for the game’s contestants, Jennings’ lectern, and the massive neon Jeopardy! sign in its iconic font. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2025 Kavanaugh kept returning to the question — that is, until Justice Amy Coney Barrett beat him to it by the time the last lawyer took the lectern. Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 28 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lectern 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English lettorne, from Anglo-French leitrun, from Medieval Latin lectrinum, from Late Latin lectrum, from Latin legere to read — more at legend

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lectern was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near lectern

Cite this Entry

“Lectern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lectern. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

lectern

noun
lec·​tern ˈlek-tərn How to pronounce lectern (audio)
: a desk to read from while standing
especially : one from which scripture lessons are read in a church service

More from Merriam-Webster on lectern

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