This noun denotes an altar, specifically a raised platform or structure for sacrifices and offerings. In Acts 17:23, Paul references an Athenian altar inscribed "To an Unknown God," using it as a springboard for proclaiming the true God. Classical usage encompasses altars as places of sacrifice, supplication, and asylum, with the raised base distinguishing it from other cultic furniture. The translations uniformly render it as altar (Spanish/French/German altar/autel), recognizing it as the standard term for pagan sacrificial structures Paul encountered in Athens's religious landscape.