A square linen cloth used in Christian religious services, especially one placed on an altar to hold the Eucharist elements.
From Medieval Latin 'corporale' (of or belonging to a body), derived from Latin 'corpus' (body). The cloth is named for its connection to the body of Christ in Eucharistic theology.
The 'corporale' cloth connects directly to the concept of 'corpus Christi' (body of Christ) in Catholic tradition—even the word's etymology reveals theological meaning!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.