ciborium

/sɪˈbɔəɹɪəm/

//sɪˈbɔəɹɪəm// noun

"ciborium" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ciborium” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A fixed vaulted canopy over a Christian altar, supported on four columns.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ciborium · ciborium · English

ciborium · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for ciborium
PropertyValue
Headwordciborium
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/sɪˈbɔəɹɪəm/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “ciborium” in English

ciboriumranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

ciborium is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /sɪˈbɔəɹɪəm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for ciborium, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin cibōrium (“drinking-cup”), from Ancient Greek κιβώριον (kibṓrion, “the Egyptian water-lily’s cupulate seed pod”, or “a drinking-cup fashioned therefrom”). Doublet of cimborio. The correct English form is ciborium, spelled C-I-B-O-R-I-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fixed vaulted canopy over a Christian altar, supported on four columns.
  2. 2
    A covered receptacle for holding the consecrated wafers of the Eucharist.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how ciborium appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Michael came after her, solemnly bearing the teapot like a ciborium.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin cibōrium (“drinking-cup”), from Ancient Greek κιβώριον (kibṓrion, “the Egyptian water-lily’s cupulate seed pod”, or “a drinking-cup fashioned therefrom”). Doublet of cimborio.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ciborium"?
"ciborium" is spelled C-I-B-O-R-I-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is /sɪˈbɔəɹɪəm/.
What does "ciborium" mean?
As a noun, "ciborium" means: A fixed vaulted canopy over a Christian altar, supported on four columns.
How do you pronounce "ciborium"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ciborium" is /sɪˈbɔəɹɪəm/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "ciborium"?
From Medieval Latin cibōrium (“drinking-cup”), from Ancient Greek κιβώριον (kibṓrion, “the Egyptian water-lily’s cupulate seed pod”, or “a drinking-cup fashioned therefrom”). Doublet of cimborio. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list