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Glite Dictionary
nave

nave

5 8.6
The central part of a church where people sit during services
  • noun
  • /neɪv/
translation icon : nave
  • The crucifix was silhouetted by the light from the nave, its plaster face in darkness now.
  • nave of the church
  • nave with side aisles
  • altar in the nave

And she's walking, stalking along in the, in the, in the nave of the Vatican.

Examples

  • I'd walked a good halfway up the nave before I thought I might get locked in.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The church consisted of a nave covered by a vault illuminated by several windows.

    Academic text (1994)

  • We begin, of course, at the West door into the nave.

    The King's Speech (2010)

  • Right there in the center of the nave.

    The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)

  • And in the center of the nave, under the dome?

    The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)

  • The church should consist of a single nave, either vaulted or with a flat ceiling.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The seams correspond to the division between the three-aisled nave and the side chapels.

    Academic text (2015)

  • The floorboards of the nave rested after their deafening squeals under the weight of the congregation, the altar left vacant.

  • Casimir led them through the pillar-lined passage that circled the nave, his ear cocked toward the haunting song.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The large tapestry banners hanging in the nave gave the interior a festive feel.

Synonyms

naos
vsnave
  • Specialized
9.9

Main area of a church where people gather to worship

is the general central church area used for the congregation across periods

Surface Forms

nave singular
naves plural

Etymology

Nave comes from the Latin navis, which means 'ship', and it is the same root as navy. A helpful image is to think of the church's central space as a ship carrying the people toward the altar, so nave means the main central part of a church.