Borrowed from French baldaquin, from Italian baldacchino, from Baldacca, a variant of Baghdad, where the material originally came from.
baldacchin (plural baldacchins)
- (uncountable, archaic) A rich, embroidered brocade used for clothing in the Middle Ages, the web being gold and the woof silk.
- (countable) A canopy suspended over an altar or throne, originally made of this fabric; a ciborium.
- (countable) A building in form of a canopy, or a crown supported by pillars for the covering of an altar; a canopy carried over the host in Roman Catholic countries.
[1721, N[athan] Bailey, “BALDACHIN”, in An Universal Etymological English Dictionary: […], London: […] E. Bell, J. Darby, […], →OCLC, column 1:BALDACHIN is a Building in form of a Canopy, or Crown ſupported by Pillars, often ſerving for the Covering of an Altar; Alſo a Canopy carried over the Hoſt in Popiſh Countries.]
canopy suspended over an altar or throne