dais
noun/ˈdeɪɪs/
/ˈdeɪɪs/
- a stage, especially at one end of a room, on which people stand to make speeches to an audience
- He was seated atop a raised dais with a double set of stairs leading up to the throne.
- The chamber has a raised dais, which lends itself perfectly to either ceremonies or musical entertainment.
Word OriginMiddle English (originally denoting a raised table for distinguished guests): from Old French deis, from Latin discus ‘disc or dish’ (later ‘table’). Little used after the Middle English period, the word was revived by antiquarians in the early 19th cent. and pronounced as two syllables.Want to learn more?
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