‖ haut-pas
Now only as Fr. (hopɑ).
Forms: 5 hautepase, haught passe, 6 hautepace, haulte pace, 7 haute pass, 7– haut-pas.
[F. haut pas, lit. ‘high step’; in common use in 15–16th c. and anglicized in the form halpace, whence also the corrupted forms half-, hath-, hearth-pace.]
A part of the floor of a hall, etc., raised one or more steps above the level of the rest; a dais: = half-pace 1.
| 1460 Will of Burgate (Somerset Ho.), The hautepase that y made for the maidens & women seruents to pray for my soule. a 1483 Earl Rivers Let. in Gairdner Hist. Rich. III, (1878) App. B. 395 That the steyres of my h[a]ught passe schulbe vj fote. 1540 Haulte pace [see halpace]. 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 65 b, There was made from the West doore to the quere doore of the churche egall with the highest step, a hautepace of tymber of xii fote broade, that the kyng and the Ambassadors might be sene. 1670 F. Sandford Dk. Albemarle (1722) 5 At the upper end upon a Haute-pass, a Bed of State of black Velvet was placed. 1735 in Etoniana x. (1865) 157 The..hall was fitted with a haut-pas at the upper end, and a chair of state upon it. 1761 Gray Let. 24 Sept. in Leisure Ho. (1884) 752/1 Below the steps of the haut pas were the tables of the nobility. |