1. A basket or receptacle, especially one used in a church or formal setting for collecting alms or flowers.
Usage: archaic; chiefly historical
2. In architecture, a sculptured ornament in the form of a basket of flowers or fruit, used as a decorative element.
Usage: technical; architectural

Examples

• The corbeil at the entrance of the cathedral held donations from worshippers.
• Medieval churches often featured a corbeil for collecting alms from the faithful.
• The architect incorporated a corbeil of carved flowers into the capital of the column.
• A corbeil filled with fresh blooms decorated the altar during the ceremony.