1. plural form of mensa (the flat top surface of an altar)
Usage: ecclesiastical; architectural
2. plural form of mensa (a table or flat surface)
Usage: Latin; formal

Examples

• The ancient church contained several ornate mensae.
• Archaeological excavations revealed stone mensae from the Roman period.
• The cathedral’s mensae were carved from marble.
• Scholars studied the inscriptions on the mensae.
• The mensae served as altar surfaces in the basilica.