Aaron
abbots
Abednego
Abel
Abraham
Absalom
acacia
Adam
Adonai
Adonijah
adultery
Advent
Advent candles
Agnus Dei
Agony in the Garden
aisle
alb
almond
altar
altar cross
altarpiece
AMDG
AMGPD
Amice
AMR
Anastasis
anchor
anemone
angels
animals
ankh
Anna
Anne
Annunciation
ape
Apostles’ Creed
apple
arch and arches
Archangel Chamael
Archangel Gabriel
Archangel Jophiel
Archangel Raphael
Archangel Zadkiel
Archangel Zophiel
Archangels
archbishops
archiepiscopal cross
Arianism
Ark
Ark of the Covenant
arrows
Ascension
Ascension Day
aspen
ass
Assumption of Mary
Ave Maria
axe
Balaam
Balthasar
baptism
Baptism of Jesus
Barabbas
basilisk
Bathsheba
bear
bee
beehive
Belshazzar
Bethany
Bethesda
Betrayal of Jesus
birds
Birth of Jesus
bishops
black
Blessed Virgin Mary
blue
BMV
book
bramble
branch
bread
bronze
brown
bull
bulrush
Burning Bush
butterflies
Cain
calf
Calvary
camel
Candlemas
candles
candlesticks
cardinals
carpenter’s square
Caspar
cassock
Catholic
cave
ceilings
Celtic cross
chalice
chasuble
Chemuel
Cherubim
Chi Rho
childhood of Mary
Chismon
choir stalls
Christ
Christmas
Christmas rose
church
Church history
churches
churchyard
cincture
circle
circumcision
cistern
Cleansing of the Temple
clover
club
coal
cockatrice
cockerel
coins
colobium
colours
columbine
column
consecration cross
cope
cord
Coronation of Mary
Counsellors
cows
crane
Creation
Creation of Adam
Creation of Eve
criminals
crook
cross
cross-anchor
crucifix
crucifixes
Crucifixion
Crucifixion of Jesus
Daniel
Darius
David
DD
DDD
Death of Mary
deer
Deluge
Deposition
Disciples
dispute
Dives
DNJC
Doctors of the Church
dog
dog collar
DOM
dome
Dominions
donkey
Doom
doors
Dormition
Dormition of Mary
dove
dragon
dreams of Joseph
eagle
Easter
Easter cross
Eastern Churches
eight
Elijah
Elizabeth
empty cross
Entry into Jerusalem
Epiphany
Etrunanuel
Eucharist
Evangelists
Exodus
Exodus from Egypt
Expulsion from Garden of Eden
eye
eyes
Ezekiel
Fall
Fall of Adam
feeding of the five thousand
feet
figs
fire
fire lamp
fish
five
Flagellation of Jesus
fleur-de-lys
flies
Flight into Egypt
Flight to Egypt
flood
font
forgiveness
forty
fountain
four
foxes
frogs
Gabriel appears to Joseph
Gabriel appears to Mary
Gabriel appears to Zechariah
gargoyle
Gaspar
gate
geese
Gestas
Gethsemane
glass
Glastonbury thorn
goat
God
God the Father
God the Holy Spirit
God the Son
God the Trinity
gold
golden calf
goldfinch
Golgotha
Goliath
Gomorrah
Good Friday
goose
Governors
grace
graded cross
grape
grapes
gravestone
green
grey
griffin
gryphon
hair
halo
halos
hand
hare
harp
Harrowing of Hell
Harvest Festival
head
heart
heaven and hell
hell
Herod
Herod Agrippa
holly
Holy Communion
Holy Family
Holy Ghost
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit under God
hope
horns
horse
hosanna
hyssop
ICXC
Immaculate conception
Immanuel
immortality
incarnation
incredulity
innocence
INRI
inverted cross
iris
Isaac
Isaiah
ivy
Jacob
jar
Jeremiah
Jesse tree
Jesus
Jesus Agony in the garden
Jesus Ascension
JHVH
Joachim
Job
John Chrysostom
Jonah
Joseph
Joseph and Potiphar’s wife
Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph’s coat of many colours
Joseph’s Dream
Joshua
Judas Iscariot
keys
knife
Lady chapel
lamb
Lamb of God
Last Judgement
Last Supper
laurel
Lazarus
lectern
Lent
leviathan
lily
lion
locusts
Lord’s supper
Lot
love
lychgate
lyre
Magi
maniple
manna
Margery Kempe
marriage at Cana
Marriage of Mary
Martha
Mary at the foot of the Cross
Mary Mother of Jesus
Mass
Mater Dei
Matthew
Melchior
Melchizedek
menorah
Mesach
Messengers
Messiah
MHP.OY
mitre
mocking
money bags
moneychangers
monkey
Monogram of the Blessed Virgin
moon
morse
Moses
MR
nails
narcissus
Nathan
Nativity
Nativity of Jesus
Nativity of Mary
nave
Nebuchadnezzar
net
New Testament
Nika
nimbus
Noah
numbers
oak
octagon
Old Testament
olive
one
orientation
Original Sin
owl
ox
pallium
palm
Palm Sunday
Papal cross
paschal candles
Passion
passion cross
Passover
Patriarchal cross
Patriarchs
peacock
pelican
Pentecost
pews
phoenix
pieta
pig
pigeon
Pilate
pillar
pillar of salt
Plagues of Egypt
plants
platter
pomegranate
Pontius Pilate
Popes
porch
Potiphar
Powers
Presentation of Jesus
Presentation of Mary
pricket stand
priests
Principalities
processional cross
Protestant
Protestant Churches
pulpit
purification
Purification of Mary
purple
rabbit
rainbow
Raising of Lazarus
ram
raven
red
red crimson
reed
Resurrection
Return from Egypt
RIP
robin
rock
rod
Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Churches
rood loft
rood screen
rooster
rope
rose
Rulers
sacraments
Sacred Heart
Sacred Monograms
sacrifice
Saint Agnes
salamander
Salome
salvation
Samson
saw
scallop shell
scorpion
screen
scroll
Second Coming
Seraphim
serpent
seven
Seven Deadly Sins
Seven Heavenly Virtues
Seven Sacraments
Shadrach
shamrock
sheep
shell
shepherd
Shield of the Blessed Trinity
ship
Simeon
Simon of Cyrene
skull
snake
Sodom and Gomorrah
Solomon
sparrow
spear
spire
square
St. Ambrose
St. Andrew
St. Anthony of Egypt
St. Anthony of Padua
St. Athanasios
St. Augustine
St. Bartholomew
St. Basil the Great
St. Brigid
St. Catherine of Alexandria
St. Christopher
St. Dorothy
St. Dydimus
St. Eustace
St. Francis of Assisi
St. George
St. Gregory Naziansen
St. Gregory the Great
St. Hubert
St. James the Great
St. James the Less
St. Jerome
St. John the Baptist
St. John the Evangelist
St. Joseph
St. Jude
St. Lawrence
St. Lebbaeus
St. Luke
St. Mark
St. Martin of Tours
St. Mary Magdalene
St. Mary Margaret
St. Matthias
St. Michael
St. Nathanael
St. Nicholas
St. Paul
St. Peter
St. Philip
St. Rule
St. Sebastian
St. Simon Peter
St. Stephen
St. Thaddeus
St. Theresa of Lisieux
St. Thomas
St. Uriel
St. Veronica
staff
stag
stained glass
stars
Stations of the Cross
Stephanon
stigmata
stole
stones
stork
stoup
sun
surplice
swastika
sword
sword lily
Synagogue
tabernacle
Tau cross
Temple
temptation
Temptation of Eve
Ten Commandments
thistle
thorn
three
Three Holy Hierarchs
Thrones
tongs
Tower of Babel
Transfiguration
Transfiguration of Jesus
tree
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
Trials of Jesus
triangle
Trinity
Trinity triangle
triumph
twelve
Twelve Apostles
unicorn
use of different crosses
vase
VDMA
Via Crucis
Via Dolorosa
vices
vine
violet
Virgin Mary
virtues
Visitation
votive candles
wand
washing the disciples’ feet
water
water stoup
Wedding at Cana
west
Western
whale
wheat
wheel
whip
white
wine
Wise Men
XP
Yahweh
yellow
YHWH
Zechariah
Sources Cited
Taylor, Richard. How to Read a Church: A Guide to Images, Symbols and Meanings in Churches and Cathedrals. Ann Arbor, Michigan: The University of Michigan. 2003.
Key Facts
At time of upload on January 31, 2021:
- 147 duplicative terms of those already existing in the Architectural Dictionary
- 461 original terms
- 608 total terms in source
- 75.8% original terms in source
- 86 sources in dictionary
- 15,303 unique terms in dictionary
- 33,242 total terms all sources in dictionary
- 46.0% unique terms in dictionary