Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In the usual position of a church-altar, that is, with ends toward the north and south and front toward the west.

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

  • adverb In the proper position of an altar, that is, at the east of a church with its ends towards the north and south.

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

  • adjective Placed in the manner of an altar, against the eastern wall of the chancel with the longer side parallel to that wall.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

altar +‎ -wise

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