A stone basin or vessel for holding holy water in a church, particularly in Scottish and Northern English architecture.
From 'gill' (a measure, from Old Norse 'gjölnir') + 'stoup' (a basin or vessel for water, from Old Norse 'staup'). Both components show Norse influence on Northern British vocabulary.
The gillstoup reveals how Viking words still hide in church architecture—'stoup' comes from Norse settlements, while 'gill' as a measure was used in brewing and baking for centuries.
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