- ABACUS. The slab that forms the top of the capital. See Orders of Architecture.
- ABUTMENT. A masonry mass that takes the weight and thrust of an arch, vault, or truss. See Arch.
- ACANTHUS. A Mediterranean plant (Acanthus mollis and Acanthus spinous) whose deeply serrated leaf was stylized by the Greeks and the Romans to become one or the principal ornaments of classical architecture. It identifies a Corinthian capital.
- AEDICULE. A small house or templed frame.
- ANCONE. A scroll-shaped bracket, customarily found in pairs, that supports a cornice over a door or a window. See Bracket.
- ANTHEMIA. An ornament based on the honeysuckle or palm leaf. Also a Palmette.
- ANTHEMION (ANTHEMIA, pl.). An ornament based on the honeysuckle or palm leaf. Also a Palmette.
- APPLIQUE. See SCONCE.
- ARABESQUE. An intricate decorative pattern joining plant, animal, and sometimes human forms.
- ARCH. A curved construction used to span an opening or recess.
- ARCHITRAVE. The bottom third of the entablature, the part resting on the column or pilaster arid stipporting a frieze. It is nften divided into fascia. She OR HERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- ASTRAGAL. A Small half round to be seen on a capital. See ORDERS or ARCHITECTURE and MOLDINGS. Also a molded strip applied to one side of a door leaf where the two leaves meet. It is designed to project over the adjoining leaf when the door is closed.
- ATTIC. A story built above the cornice of a building.
- BALUSTER. An upright support in a variety of turned shapes, customarily swelling toward the base. When one shape is inverted and superimposed on its model, it is called a double baluster. Used in a series and supporting a rail, it forms part of a balustrade.
- BARREL VAULT. A ceiling or roof construction as an extended arch over a space. Customarily semicylindrical in shape. See vaulting.
- BASE. The bottom part, made up of moldings, of the column and the pilaster, or of any architectural or decorative sign. See ORDERS of ARCHITECTURE.
- BASEBOARD. A flat projection at the floor level of an interior wall. See dado.
- BATTER. An incline given the face of a wall.
- BAY LEAF. A stylized leaf and berry of the bay tree, by laurel or sweet bay (Laurus nobilis) often imbricated as in a wreath, in a swag, or in the enrichment of a torus.
- BAY. A stylized leaf and berry of the bay tree, by laurel or sweet bay (Laurus nobilis) often imbricated as in a wreath, in a swag, or in the enrichment of a torus.
- BAYBERRY. A stylized leaf and berry of the bay tree, by laurel or sweet bay (Laurus nobilis) often imbricated as in a wreath, in a swag, or in the enrichment of a torus.
- BEAD MOLDING. A small half round. See moldings.
- BEAD. A small half round. See moldings.
- BEAD-AND-REEL. A molding made up of elongated beads and disks.
- BEADS. See Pearls.
- BED MOLD. The molding on which a cornice rests. See Orders of Architecture.
- BEL ÉTAGE. The principal floor, customarily above the ground floor, reserved for reception rooms. Also Piano nobile.
- BELT COURSE. A horizontal band of masonry extending across the facade of a building. Also String course. See Arch.
- BEZANT. A coin-shaped ornament.
- BRACKET. A support for a projection, such as a cornice, usually scroll-shaped, as in a console bracket.
- BUCRANE. An ox skull. An ornamental device often used with garlands, festoons, and ribbons.
- CABUCHON. A round or ovoid device with a convex surface, often elaborately framed. Also found in jewelry.
- CAISSON. A sunken panel in a vault or a dome. See Coffer.
- CAPITAL. The crowning member of a columnn or a pilaster. See Orders of Architecture.
- CARTOUCHE. A shield or ovoid room rten bearing inscriptions and devices in relief, frequently set in an elaborate scroll frame and bordered with ornament.
- CAVETTO. A concave molding with the profile of a quarter round or close to it. See moldings.
- CHAIN BAND. A series of circles joined by paired hyphens, often with rosettes in the circles. When bordered by acanthus, it is know a foliated chain band.
- COFFER. A sunken panel in a ceiling, vault, or dome, or the underside of an arch. The great example of a coffering is to be found in the Pantheon in Rome.
- COLUMM. A round, vertical support, consisting of a base, shaft, and capital, usually upholding an entablature. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- CONSOLE. A decorative bracket in the form of a scroll supporting a balcony, a table, or an overhanging wall.
- CORINTHIAN COLUMN. One of the five orders of columns, mainly distinguished by its capital of acanthus leaves and volutes. It was the favorite order of the Romans. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- CORNICE. The projecting top section of an entablature. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- CORNUCOPIA. Also known as a horn of plenty, it is a goat’s horn overflowing with fruit, grain, ears of corn, and similar items.
- CORONA. The first part of a cornice between the cymatium above and the bed mold below. SEE ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- COURSE. A horizontal layer of masonry.
- COVE. A concave surface connecting a ceiling and a wall.
- CROSSETTE. Also Greek ear. A lateral extension of the architrave moldings at the top of a door or window frame.
- CYMA RECTA. A molding with an S-shaped curve, concave over convex. See MOLDINGS.
- CYMATIUM. The uppermost molding of a cornice, usually in the shape of a cyma recta. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- DADO. A continuous wall pedestal or wainscot consisting or a base or baseboard, a die, and an upper rail or cap molding.
- DENTIL. A small projecting block used in rows, called a dentil band or course, forming part of a cornice. Dentils resemble teeth. Denticulated or Denticular means enriched with dentils. See CORNICE.
- DOME. A convex roof or ceiling, hemispherical, semiovoidal, or saucer-shaped, built over a square, octagonal, or circular space.
- DORIC COLUMN. One of the five orders of columns, with a simple capital consisting mainly of an abacus and echinus. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- ECHINUS. An ovolo or quarter-round molding that is part of a capital. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- EGG-AND-DART. A familiar convex molding, an ovolo in profile enriched with eggs and arrowhead. See CORNICE.
- ENTABLATURE. The upper part of an order, supported by columns. Made up of three major horizontal members: architrave, frieze, and cornice. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- ENTASIS. An almost imperceptible swelling added to the tapering of the column shaft. It is a necessary refinement to correct the optical illusion of concavity that results if the column is straight.
- EXTRADOS. The outside surface of an arch. See ARCH.
- FASCIA. The plain horizontal band or bands, often combined with moldings, that make up the architrave, the lowest, third part of the entablature. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- FESTOON. A garland made of fruits, flowers, leaves, or husks, and hanging in a curve. Alternative term: Swag. See also GARLAND.
- FILLET. A raised, narrow flat band between the flutes of a column. Also a raised or sunken band when combined with other elements. See MOLDINGS.
- FIVE ORDERS. An order consists of a column with base (except in the Greek Doric), shaft, and capital and its entablature. Each order has its own formalized ornament. The orders are the basis of architectural design in the classical tradition, providing lessons in proportion, scale, and the uses of ornament. The five orders are Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. See illustrations comparing the orders on the next page.
- FLEURON. A small flower-shaped ornament usually found on the abacus of a Corinthian column. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE, CORINTHIAN.
- FLUTE. A concave groove or channel running vertically on a column or pilaster shaft. Also found in enriched moldings. Collectively called fluting.
- FLUTTERING RIBBON. (See illustration.)
- FRET. A gemoetrical meandering pattern of horizontal and vertical straight lines making a band. Also called Greek key.
- FRIEZE. The middle horizontal member of an entablature above the architrave and below the cornice. See Orders of Architecture.
- GADROON. Old spelling: Godroon. A convex rounded ornament, always in a set; for that reason, most often called gadroons. The garoon is round in the upper end and tapering to a point at the other.
- GARLAND. An intertwining of fruits, leaves, flowers, or husks.
- GROIN. The ridge at the intersection of two vaults. A groined vault. See Vaulting.
- GUILLOCHE. An ornament composed of continuous interlaced curving lines. When there are two linked patterns, it is known as a double guilloche.
- GUTTAE. A series of cone-shaped or cylindrical pendants on the underside of a triglyph. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- HELIX. The volutes, or scrolls, of a Corinthian capital. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- IMBRICATED. A pattern otoverlapping leaves or scales, usually of bay leaves, oak leaves, or bezants. Imbrication: a band of the same.
- IMPOST. A cornice-like bracket from which an arch springs. Also called impost block. See ARCH.
- IONIC. One of the five orders of columns, recognized by its capital of volutes, or helixes. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- JIB DOOR. A door made to look indistinguishable from the wall in which it stands.
- KEYSTONE. The wedged top stone of an arch. See ARCH.
- LEAF-AND-DART. A repetitive band made up of a stylized leaf and a dart. Sometimes called water leaf, a term invented by an eighteeth-century archaeologist.
- LINTEL. A horizontal member spanning an opening in a door or a window.
- LUNETTE. A semicircular wall inside an arch. Often applied to a painting that fills the same.
- MEANDER. See FRET.
- METOPE. A square panel between triglyphs on a Doric frieze. Often decorated with a relief. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE, DORIC.
- MODILLION. A small bracket used in rows under the corona of a cornice and extending from
- MOLDINGS. Plain or decorated profiles either rectangular or curved and either above or below the surface. Their purpose is to provide a transition or to produce light and shade.
- MONOLITH. The shaft of a column consisting of a single block of stone. Also monolithic.
- NECKING. Also known as collarino, a wide surface at the top of a Tucan, Doric, or Ionic column. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- NICHE. A recess in a wall, usually with a semi-dome, designed as a place for a statue.
- ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE (FIVE ORDERS). An order consists of a column with base (except in the Greek Doric), shaft, and capital and its entablature. Each order has its own formalized ornament. The orders are the basis of architectural design in the classical tradition, providing lessons in proportion, scale, and the uses of ornament. The five orders are Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. See illustrations comparing the orders on the next page.
- OVOLO. A convex molding, either elliptical or quarter-round. See MOLDINGS.
- PALMETTE. See ANTHEMION.
- PATERA (PATERAE, pl.). An ornament, usually in the form of a rosette, to be found in coffers.
- PATERAE. An ornament, usually in the form of a rosette, to be found in coffers.
- PEARLS. A small molding resembling a string of pearls. Also known as beads.
- PEDESTAL. A base for a column, pilaster, or statue. Also a post in a balustrade. See BALUSTRADE.
- PEDIMENT. A triangular gable with a wall, called a tympanum, framed by a cornice. Originating with the Greek temple, it is found today crowning an entablature, a door, or a window. When it has a round cornice instead of two sides of a triangle, it is known as a round or segmental pediment.
- PENDENTIVE. A triangular curved surface between two arches and beneath a dome.
- PIANO NOBILE. See BEL ETAGE.
- PIER. A heavy vertical mass of masonry used for support with none of the details of a column.
- PILASTER. A vertical rectangular projection from a wall, treated like a column with base, shaft, and capital.
- PLINTH. An additional base beneath the base of a column, or pilaster, or baluster. A plinth course is a continuous plinth serving as base to a number of columns, pilasters, or balusters (balustrade).
- POST. An upright supporting member.
- PULVINATED. Pillow-shaped, as in the curved profile of a frieze, such as in a pulvinated frieze. It is also found in rustication, where the stories are given a pillow shape.
- RAKING CORNICE. Sloping cornice of the two sides of a pediment. See PEDIMENT.
- REED. A bead or beaded molding, i.e., a small half round. When used in clusters, it is called reading.
- REVEAL. The section of the wall framing a window or a door, customarily when the wall is thick.
- RIBBON. An ornament in imitation of a cloth ribbon.
- RINCEAU (RINCEAUX, pl.). A symmetrical swirling armament of leaves, customarily those of the acanthus.
- RINCEAUX. A symmetrical swirling armament of leaves, customarily those of the acanthus.
- ROSETTE. A floral motive, usually round. Paterae in coffers are most often in the shape of rosettes.
- ROSTRA. The prow of a Greek or Roman warship used as a ram in battle. Stone imitations of them are part of the gram- mar or classical ornament and are customarily found in columns. Captured rostra were placed at the foot of the speaker’s podium in the Roman Forum; for that reason such a podium is called a rostrum.
- ROSTRUM (ROSTRA, pl.), The prow of a Greek or Roman warship used as a ram in battle. Stone imitations of them are part of the gram- mar or classical ornament and are customarily found in columns. Captured rostra were placed at the foot of the speaker’s podium in the Roman Forum; for that reason such a podium is called a rostrum.
- RUSTICATED. The same for cut stone in a wall that is channeled with grooves. The purpose is to convey an impression of solidity and strength and to give visual relief to the wall surface.
- RUSTICATION. The same for cut stone in a wall that is channeled with grooves. The purpose is to convey an impression of solidity and strength and to give visual relief to the wall surface.
- SAUCER DOME. A low concave ceiling, with the shape of an inverted saucer.
- SCONCE. A bracket, secured to a wall, with a candlestick or several candlesticks, or imitations of same, or with arms holding lights. Also known as Appliqué.
- SCROLL FRAME. A frame adorned with scrolls that looks as if it were made of thick boiled leather.
- SCROLL. A Spiral found in the form of volumes of a capital or in the frame of a cartouche.
- SEGMENTAL. The portion of a circle, less than a semicircle, defining the shape of an arch or vault.
- SHAFT. The trunk or the longest part of a column between the base and the capital. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
- SHELL VAULTING. Vaulting used solely as decoration serving no structural purpose. It is made of plaster bonded by lath and held in place by struts attached to the beams. The Romans were the first to adopt the vault as a decorative device. With its value as an ornament, it evolved from being structural to being chiefly decorative. See vaulting.
- SOFFIT. The underside of an arch, a beam, or any spanning members. See Arch.
- SPANDREL. The triangular space bounded by the curve of an arch, a horizontal line through its top, and a vertical line rising from the impost or springing of the arch.
- SPLAY. A sloped surface, usually in the arch of a door or wfiidow where one side is larger than the other.
- SPLIT FILLET. A fillet found on the horizontal and raking cornices of a pediment, termed split because it divides at an angle where the two cornices meet. See PEDIMENT.
- STEREOTOMY. The science and art of stonecutting. Also stereotomic.
- STOPPED FLUTING. Where the flutes or channels of a column or pilaster, or any grooves, have been filled with rods or rods topped by acanthus.
- STRAPWORK. A form of ornamentatic›n consisting of folding and interlacing bands.
- STRING COURSE. A horizontal band across a facade. It can be flush or projecting, and given a variety of surfaces.
- SWAG. See Festoon.
- TAENIA. The fillet at the top of a Doric architrave. See ORDERS of ARCHITECTURE; Donic.
- THUMB MOLDING. Also known as a quirked molding. In profile, it is part round and part elliptical.
- TRIGLYPH. A projecting block with three channels forming part of a Doric frieze. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE; DORIC.
- VAULT. An arched ceiling. Prior to the coming of the steel beam, the vault of brick or stone was adopted instead of wood beanu to cover a space. In the nineteentli century, a space would often be covered by several vaults supported on cast-iron beams. The illustration above shows a vault of brick and cast iron concealed by a flat plaster ceiling.
- VAULTING. A method of covering space with masonry following the principle of the are. Its great advantage prior to the use of steel and concrete was its being fire-retardant and long-lasting. Shell vaulting often replaced vaults of masonry. For instance, a stucco shell cou]d be suspended by struts from beams.
- VESTIBULE. An anteroom, entrance hall, or foyer.
- VOLUTE. A spiral scroll as on an Ionic, Corinthian, or Composite cap- ital, or any special ornament. Also thrown as Helix. See ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE.
Sources Cited
Identification and Glossary of Terms, The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. https://www.classicist.org/workspace/pdf/Identification-and-Glossary-of-Terms.pdf. Last accessed January 20, 2018.
Key Facts
At time of upload on January 6, 2021: