'altarpiece' originates from Middle English, specifically the combination of 'altar' and 'piece', where 'altar' referred to a table or flat-topped block used for religious rituals and 'piece' referred to a portion or part of something.

'altarpiece' changed from the Middle English word 'auterpece' and eventually became the modern English word 'altarpiece'.

Initially, it meant 'a piece of art placed on an altar', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.