Sentence:  Most <WSD>peristyles</WSD> in Haiti have hard-packed dirt floors that can soak up libations when they're poured on the ground in honor of the spirits. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A sacred roofed courtyard with a central pillar (the potomitan), used as a space for voodoo ceremonies, either alone or as an adjunct to an enclosed temple or altar-room.