University of Virginia Library

Glossary

abacus:

the upper member (usually a flat slab) of the capital of a column that supports
the architrave: in the Tuscan, Doric, and Ionic orders a square flat plate but in
the Corinthian and Composite variously cut and ornamented

andiron:

one of a pair of metal supports for firewood used on a hearth and made of a
horizontal bar mounted on short legs with usually a vertical shaft surmounting
the front end.

arch:

a curved span across an opening

architrave:

the lowest division of an entablature resting in classical architecture
immediately on the capital of the column, or the molding around a rectangular
opening (as a door or window)

astragal:

a narrow half-round molding; also a projecting strip on the edge of a folding
door

bat:

a sun-dried brick

bead:

a projecting rim, band, or molding

bond-timber:

horizontal pieces, built in stone or brick walls, for strengthening them

burr:

a clinker

capital:

the uppermost member of a column or pilaster crowing the shaft and taking the
weight of the entablature, and often richly carved

cavetto:

a concave molding having a curve that roughly approximates a quarter circle

chimney-breast:

the projecting part of the wall between the chimney-flue and the room

chimney-shaft:

a chimney-stalk

chimney-stalk:

the part of a chimney which rises, detached, from a house-top

clinker:

overburned or partly vitrified bricks

coffer:

a sunken panel in a ceiling or soffit, of ornamental character, usually decorated
in the centre with a flower or the like; the spaces between the heads of the
modillions and mutules

Composite:

relating to or being a modification of the Corinthian order combining angular
Ionic volutes with the acanthus-circled bell of the Corinthian

cope-stone:

one of the stones forming the coping of a wall

coping:

the uppermost course of masonry or brickwork in a wall, usually made of a
sloping form to throw off rain

cornice:

the molded and projecting horizontal member that crowns an architectural
composition, or a top course that crowns a wall

corona:

a member of the cornice, above the bed-moulding and below the cymatium,
having a broad vertical face, usually of considerable projection; also called drip
or larmier

course:

a continuous layer of bricks or stones of uniform height in a wall or foundation

cross style:

id est, stile

cymatium:

an ogee, an Ionic colute

dado:

the block or cube, with plane faces, forming the body of a pedestal, between the
base moldings and the cornice; also the finishing of wood running along the
lower part of the walls of a room, made to represent a continuous pedestal,
strictly applied only to the flat surface between the plinth and the capping; also
a cornice or dado molding, the capping or surbase

dentils:

small rectangular blocks under a classical cornice

entablature:

the upper section of a wall or story that is usually supported on columns or
pilasters and that in classical orders consists of architrave, frieze, and cornice

facing:

a layer of stone or brick applied to the face of an external wall

fillet:

a narrow flat architectural member, either a flat molding separating others, or
the space between two flutings in a shaft

flagstone:

naturally stratified slabs of stone used for paving

flute:

a rounded groove, specifically, one of the vertical parallel grooves on a
classical architectural column

frieze:

the part of an entablature between the architrave and the cornice, or a sculptured
or righly ornamented band (as on a building), or a band, line, or series
suggesting a frieze

gable:

the vertical triangular end of a building from cornice or eaves to ridge

girt measure:

measurements that take into account the entire surface, including depressions
and projections

hame:

one of two curved projections which are attached to the collar of a draft horse
and to which the traces are fastened

hearth:

the paved or tiled floor of a fireplace on which a fire is made

impost:

the upper course of a pillar or abutment, frequently projecting in the form of an
ornamental moulding or capital, on which the foot of an arch rests

lintel:

a horizontal architectural member spanning and usually carrying the load above
an opening such as a window or door

listel:

a narrow band in architecture: a fillet

metopes:

the recessed portion alternating with fluted triglyphs on the frieze

mezzo-rilievo:

a sculpture or carving in which the figures project half their true proportions
from the surface on which they are carved

modillions:

projecting brackets or blocks placed in series under the corona of the cornice in
the Corinthian, Composite and Roman Ionic orders

molding:

a decorative recessed or relieved surface, or a decorative plane or curved strip
used for ornamentation or finishing

mutule:

the modillion proper to the cornice in the Doric order; a projection upon the
soffit of the Doric corona

necking:

a small molding near the top of a column or pilaster

ogee:

a moulding consisting of a continuous double curve, convex above and concave
below; a cyma reversa

ovolo:

a rounded convex molding

pale:

one of the stakes of a palisade; picket

paling:

a fence of pales or pickets; wood for making pales; a pale or picket for a fence

pantiles:

roofing tiles transversely curved to an ogee shape, one curve being much larger
than the other; when laid on the roof the greater part of their surface forms a
concave channel for the descent of water, while one side forms a narrow convex
ridge, which overlaps the edge of the adjoining tile

pedestal:

the support or foot of a late classic or neoclassic column

pediment:

a triangular space forming the gable of a 2-pitched roof in classic architecture;
also a similar form used as a decoration

penciling:

lines of white or other color drawn along a mortar joint on a brick wall

peristyle:

a colonnade surrounding a building or court; also an open space enclosed by a
colonnade

picket:

a pointed or sharpened stake, post, or pale

pier:

a vertical structural support as in the wall between two openings, or a pillar or
pilaster, or a vertical member that supports the end of an arch or lintel

pilaster:

an upright architectural member that is rectangular in plan and is structurally a
pier but architecturally teated as a column and that usually projects a third of its
width or less from the wall

pillar:

a firm upright support for a superstructure, or an ornamental column or shaft,
often standing alone for a monument

perch:

a solid measure used for brick or stone containing a lineal perch in length (a
pole or rod) and one and one-half feet in breadth and one foot in thickness, but
greatly varying according to materials and locations

plinth:

the abacus of the capital of a column; also the uppermost projecting part of a
cornice or of a wall; also the lower square member of the base of a column or
pedestal; also the projecting part of a wall immediately above the ground

pump-stock:

the body of a pump

press:

a closet or cupboard

renge:

a sieve or strainer

setter:

a workman who lays stone or brick in a building

snatch block:

a block that can be opened on one side to receive the bight of a rope

soffit:

the under horizontal face of an architrave or overhanging cornice

stile:

one of the vertical members in a frame or panel into which the secondary
members are fitted

surbase:

a boarder or molding immediately above the base or lower paneling of a
wainscoted room; also a cornice or series of moldings above the dado of a
pedestal, podium, etc.

tine:

the tongue or clapper of a bell which strikes it on the inside and causes it to
sound

trace:

either of two straps, chains, or lines of a harness for attaching a horse to
something (as a vehicle) to be drawn

trimmer:

is a short beam framed across an opening to carry the ends of those joists which
cannot be extended across the opening of a stair-well or hearth; also, a brick-
trimmer

triglyph:

the fluted portion alternating with the recessed metopes on the frieze

valley:

the line at which two sloping roofs meet

venetian blind:

wooden shutter made of thin vertical slats of wood, for an external shield of windows or doors

volute:

a spiral or scroll-shaped form, or a spiral scroll-shaped ornament forming the
chief feature of the Ionic capital

wood brick:

a block of wood cut to the size and shape of a brick, inserted in the interior
walls of a building as a hold for joinery