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Glite Dictionary
fane

fane

1 9.9
A temple or holy building from ancient times
  • noun
  • /feɪn/
  • Archaic
translation icon : templo
  • In the heart of the city stood a grand fane, attracting worshippers from distant lands.

Examples

  • The result was their own publishing house, October, their newspaper, Klassekampen, their journal, Rode Fane, and last but not least, a number of cultural workshops and summer camps with various cultural activities.

    Academic text (2000)

  • The third stage of the extended metaphor is, rather expectedly, the downfall, figuratively represented by a fane/fletri motif.

    Academic text (2000)

  • The lines of the "sons" owe and show loyalty to their "fathers" by residing in their compounds, by constituting their force (fane), and by siding with them in political engagements.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The ancient Greeks built a magnificent fane dedicated to Athena on the Acropolis.

  • Pilgrims visited the sacred fane to offer their prayers and seek blessings from the gods.

Synonyms

temple
vsfane
365 3.4

A building where people go to worship a god, for example in Hindu or ancient Greek religions

is an old word for such worship buildings especially when referring to ancient times
shrine
vsfane
126 4.1

A holy place where people go to pray and honor a saint or sacred object

is an old word for such sacred buildings but without relic focus
sanctuary
vsfane
55 5.5

A holy part of a religious building around the altar

is an old word for sacred buildings not for interior protected areas
ancient temple
vsfane
4 4.4

A very old building used for religious worship that is important for history

is an old word that names such worship buildings in ancient times
pantheon
vsfane
  • Literature
2 8.8

A temple in ancient Rome or Greece for all the gods

is an old word for such buildings but without the specific dedication
ancient shrine
vsfane
1 7.0

A very old place where people worship, often visited for religious reasons

is an old word for those ancient worship sites rather than a modern label

Surface Forms

fane singular
fanes plural

Etymology

Fane comes from the Latin fanum, which means 'temple' or 'sacred place'. A helpful way to remember it is to think of the same root in fanatic, once meaning someone full of religious feeling, and in profane, which meant 'outside the temple', so a fane is simply a temple or holy building.