Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An endowment to cover expenses for the saying of masses and prayers, usually for the soul of the founder of the endowment.
  • noun An altar or chapel endowed for the saying of such masses and prayers.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A church or chapel which in former times was endowed with lands or other revenue for the maintenance of one or more priests to sing or say mass daily for the soul of the donor or for the souls of persons named by him.
  • noun A chapel attached to a church, in which minor services for prayer, singing, etc., Sunday-school meetings, and the like are held.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An endowment or foundation for the chanting of masses and offering of prayers, commonly for the founder.
  • noun A chapel or altar so endowed.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An endowment for the maintenance of a priest to sing a daily mass for the souls of specified people
  • noun A chapel set up for this purpose

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an endowment for the singing of Masses
  • noun a chapel endowed for singing Masses for the soul of the donor

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English chanterie, from Old French, from chanter, to sing; see chant.]

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