# apse

> English word · Noun · IPA /æps/ · frequency rank #63,423

## Definitions
1. The rounded east end of a church that contains or is behind the altar.
2. The rounded east end of a church that contains or is behind the altar.
3. A semicircular projection from any building that is similar to a church's apse.
4. The bishop's seat or throne in ancient churches.
5. A reliquary: a case in which the relics of saints are kept.
6. Obsolete form of apsis (“the nearest and furthest points to the centre of gravitational attraction for a body in orbit”).

## Etymology
From Latin apsis, hapsis, from Ancient Greek ἁψίς (hapsís, “arch, vault”), from ἅπτω (háptō, “I bind, join”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/apse