c.1400, from Old French cenacle, variant of cenaille (14c., Modern French cénacle), from Latin cenaculum "dining room," from cena "mid-day meal, afternoon meal," literally "portion of food," from PIE *kert-sna-, from root *(s)ker- (1) "to cut" (see shear, v.). Latin cenaculum was used in the Vulgate for the "upper room" where the Last Supper was eaten.