See below for an explanation of fine art terminology used in Architecture history and practice.

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H-J - K - L - M - N - O - P-Q - R - S - T - U-V - W-Z

A

Abutment
structure supporting the lateral thrust of an arch or vault; see vault construction.
Acroterion
pedestal or figure placed at the three angles of a pediment.
Aedicule
opening, such as door or window, framed by columns, with a pediment; see Classic Greek architecture.
Aeolic
style of Greek architecture found in the 6th century BCE; sometimes called Proto-Ionic.
Aisle
division of space at the sides of a church, parallel to the nave and separated from it by piers or arcades.
Aiwan
recess, niche, or reception hall in ancient Parthian building or mosque.
Akropolis (or acropolis)
fortified citadel in Greek cities. "The Acropolis" usually refers to the one in Athens.
Altar
flat-topped block, usually of stone, used for sacrifice to a deity, or, in a Christian church, as a focal point in services.
Altarpiece
in Christian church architecture, the picture or decorated screen behind the altar. It may consist of a single painting or an elaborate group of hinged panels.
Ambo
reading desk or pulpit in early Christian church, usually of stone. Normally there were two, facing each other on each side of the choir.
Ambulatory
continuation of the aisles of the choir around the apse, sometimes giving access to smaller chapels; see church.
Amorino (pl. amorini)
small Putto; usually winged.
Amphitheatre
arena surrounded by tiered seats. Used from the 1st century BCE throughout the Roman world for public spectacles.
Annular vault
vaulted roof over a ring-shaped (annular) space, between two concentric walls; see vault construction.
Antefix
upright architectural ornament found in Classical buildings, where it decorated the ends of a roof ridge.
Apex
uppermost point of a triangular or conical form.
Apse
semicircular or polygonal end of a church; usually the end of the chancel, at the east end.
Arcade
continuous series of arches supported on columns or piers.
Architecture
1 science or art of building. 2 the structure or style of what is built.
Architrave
1 the lowest main section of an entablature. 2 molded frame surrounding a door or window.
Archivolt
curved underside of an arch, or sometimes the bands of molding that decorate it.
Atlantes
figures of men used to support an entablature. The female equivalent is acaryatid.
Atrium
1 forecourt of Roman house leading to various rooms. 2 court in front of Early Christian and Romanesque churches.
Attic order
square column of Greek architectural order, or pilasters applied to upper story of building.

B

Baluster
small pillar or column supporting rail.
Balustrade
series of balusters, usually edging terrace or balcony.
Basilica
medieval church in which the nave is taller than the aisles; early churches had an apse at one end. It was based on the Roman assembly hall, or the design of colonnaded halls in private houses.
Bay
the space formed, usually within a church where the limits are indicated by Orders, vaults, etc, rather than by walls. On an external wall a bay may be indicated by buttresses.
Beam
horizontal structural member, usually made of wood, bearing a load.
Billet
ornamentation formed by short cylindrical or rectangular blocks placed at regular intervals in hollow moldings.
Boss
ornamental projection, of wood or stone, placed at the join of vaulting, ribs, etc; see vault construction.
Bracket
projection that functions as a support; may also be decorative.
Buttress
reinforced, projecting wall, usually on the exterior of a building, supporting it at a point of stress. A flying buttress transmits the thrust of a vault to an outer support; see vault construction.

C

Cable pattern
convex rope-like molding found in Norman architecture. Sometimes also refers to similar decoration in goldsmiths' work.
Campanile
freestanding bell tower of church.
Canopy
suspended or projected miniature roof over an altar, seat, statue, or similar.
Cantilever
a beam supported or fixed at one end carrying a load at the other.
Capital
upper part of column or pilaster, directly beneath the entablature; see Classic Greek architecture.
Castellation
decoration of a building with battlements and turrets, like a castle; the result may be described as castellated.
Chamfered capital
capital whose square angles are cut obliquely.
Chancel
east end of church containing the altar.
Chevron
1 zigzag molding in Norman architecture. 2 pattern of V shapes.
Ciborium
1 vaulted canopy over an altar. 2 vessel for holding consecrated host.
Cimborio ("drum")
Drum-shaped structure, often pierced with windows, and supporting a dome.
Classic Greek architecture
apogee of Greek architectural design, much imitated in later architecture.
Clerestory
upper story of nave of chruch, pierced with windows; see vault construction.
Cloister
covered walk around a space, usually square, with a wall on one side and columns on the other. In Christian monasteries it often links the church and domestic quarters.
Coffer
1 Ornamental sunken panel recessed into ceiling or vault, which may then be described as coffered. 2 chest for valuable objects.
Colonnade
row of columns supporting entablature.
Colonnette
small column.
Colossus
gigantic statue.
Column
cylindrical pillar, either freestanding or supporting another architectural member. In Classical architecture it consists of a base, a shaft, and a capital.
Composite order: see orders of architecture.
Concha (or conch)
the domed roof of a semicircular apse.
Concrete
mixture of sand, stone, and cement used as a building material, especially in the 20th century.
Console
1 architectural term for scrolled bracket. 2 in furniture, a side table with marble top.
Corbel
projection on a wall, bearing a weight.
Corbeling
series of corbels built one above the other.
Corinthian order: see orders of architecture.
Cornice
1 upper member of an entablature. 2 ornamental molding finishing the part to which it is attached, (eg) at the junction of a wall and ceiling.
Coupled pilaster
two pilasters standing on the same pedestal.
Cove
concave molding, especially between the ceiling and cornice of a room.
Crenellation
the formation of battlements, in which the openings are known as crenelles.
Cresting
line of ornament finishing a roof or wall.
Crocket
in Gothic architecture, a carved decoration, usually leaf-shaped, projecting from the sides of pinnacles or gables.
Crossing
the space in a church where nave, chancel, and transepts meet.
Cross-in-rectangle
church plan, common in Armenia.
Cruciform
cross-shaped; used especially of a church that has transepts.
Crypt
underground chamber below church, usually at east end.
Cupola
domed vault roof.
Curtain wall
outer wall of castle joining towers and gate-house. Also refers to a wall that divides space without bearing weight.
Cushion base
base of a capital associated with early medieval architecture; shaped like a cube but with rounded edges and corners. See Cushion capital.
Cushion capital
square capital with rounded corners, found chiefly in Romanesque and early medieval buildings; see vault construction.
Cusp
point at which two arcs meet in Gothic arch or tracery.

D

Dado
1 lower section of a wall, sometimes separated from the upper by a molding. 2 part of a pedestal between the base and cornice.
Diaper
an all-over pattern of small square or lozenge-shaped units, found in Romanesque and Gothic buildings. The term is also applied to a similar pattern in stain glass.
Dogtooth
1 small ornament shaped like a pyramid, with the flat faces cut back. 2 ornament on a molding, in the form of four lobes or leaves radiating from a center, found in 13th-century English architecture.
Dome
convex covering set over circular or polygonal base.
Doric: see Orders of Architecture.
Drum
1 circular or polygonal wall supporting a dome. 2 circular blocks of stone forming a column.

E

Eave
lower edge of a roof, overhanging a wall.
Elevation
1 the face or side of a structure. 2 drawing or plan of the side of a building.
Entablature
upper section of a Classical Order consisting of architrave, frieze, and cornice.
Entasis (Greek)
a slight swelling of the contour of a column, designed to counteract the optical illusion of concavity and generally found in Classical architecture.
Exedra
semicircular or angular recess in a wall, common in Greek and Roman architecture.

F

Facade
face of a building, usually the main face.
Finial
the ornamental termination of part of a building such as a spire or pediment.
Flamboyant
the last phase of French Gothic architecture, from c.1460, characterized by elaborate, flowing window tracery.
Flying buttress: see buttress.
Foliated
covered with leaf ornamentation.
Frieze
1 part of an Entablature between the architrave and cornice, sometimes decorated in relief. 2 horizontal band of decoration along the upper part of a wall or on furniture. 3 woolen cloth.

G

Gable
triangular part of a wall at the end of the roof ridge.
Gable End
gable-shaped canopy over a door or window, or a gable-topped wall.
Gallery
1 an upper story in a church above the aisle. 2 in Elizabethan or Jacobean architecture, a long room, usually extending the full length of the house. 3 place where works of art are displayed.
Gargoyle
waterspout projecting from the gutters of a building (especially in Gothic architecture) often in the form of an open-mouthed grotesque human or animal head.
Giant order
Column or Pilaster that extends over more than one story of a building; also known as colossal order.
Greek cross
cross with arms of equal length, often used as an architectural ground plan.
Greek orders of architecture: see Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Orders.
Groin
Arch supporting vault (see vault construction), or the intersection of two barrel vaults.

H-J

Hall church
church whose nave and aisles are about the same height.
Iconostasis
in Russian or Byzantine churches, the screen on which Icons are placed.
Ionic
the second Classic order of Greek architecture; see Orders of architecture.
Irish architecture
see architectural monuments of Ireland.

K

Kalighat
Indian temple in Calcutta, built in 1809 and dedicated to the Buddhist deity Kali.
Keystone
central wedge-shaped block of an arch.

L

Lancet
tall, narrow, acutely pointed window, a feature of Early English architecture (13th century).
Lintel
horizontal beam above a door or window.
Loggetta
small arcade or open gallery.
Loggia
covered colonade or archade, open on at least one side.
Lozenge
diamond shape with four equal sides.

M

Marble
type of limestone used since Antiquity for sculpture and building. It occurs in various colours, from pure white to black, often veined.
Masonry
stonework.
Master Mason
skilled, senior mason.
Mausoleum
1 the tomb of Mausolus of Caria at Halicarnassus, 350 BCE. 2 large, imposing structure erected as a tomb.
Megalith
large monumental stone.
Metope
space between Triglyphs in a Doric frieze (see Orders of architecture).
Mezzanine
intermediate level between two floors.
Mihrab
niche in the Qibla wall of a mosque, indicating the direction of Mecca.
Mimbar
pulpit in a mosque.
Minaret
slender tower of a mosque from which worshipers are called to prayer.
Mortar
building material made from lime, sand, plaster of Paris, and fibrous materials mixed with water, which sets by hydration or carbonation. The term may refer to this mixture in the wet state, or to any similar mixture used as a cement for stone or brick.
Mosaic
design formed from small pieces of stone, glass, marble, etc.
Mullion
the vertical member that divides a window into two or more lights; see tracery.

N

Narthex
porch across the west end of a church, used by those not yet taking full communion, e.g. penitents.
Nave
main body or aisle of church.
Neoclassicism
the late 18th-century European style, lasting from c.1770 to 1830, which reacted against the worst excesses of the Baroque and Rococo, reviving the Antique. It implies a return to classical sources which imposed restraint and simplicity on painting and architecture.
Neo-Gothic
revival of the Gothic style in 18th-century England, especially in architecture.
Net Vault
Gothic vault in which the Lierne Ribs form a net-like pattern; see vault construction.
Niche
recess in a wall, often containing a statue.
Nymphaeum
Roman "temple of the nymphs" or house of pleasure, often with statues.

O

Obelisk
tall, four-sided free-standing pillar. It originated in Egypt as a solar symbol.
Oculus
originally the circular window at the west end of a church; it may also mean an illusionistic painting of a window or circular opening.
Orders of Architecture
the five Classic orders, each composed of a column, having a base, shaft, capital, and entablature with Architrave frieze, and cornice. There are three Greek orders: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. These were adapted by the Romans, who added Tuscan and Composite.
Oriel
bay window on an upper story.

P-Q

Palladian style
English architectural stvle, from c.1715, in imitation of the style of Andrea Palladio; a reaction against the Baroque in favour of the Classical; also called Neo-Palladian.
Pantheon
literally, a temple of "all the gods"; usually the one at Rome built c.27-25 BCE. Sometimes also used as a collective noun for all the gods.
Parapet
low wall around a balcony or similar structure.
Parthenon
The chief temple of Athena in Athens, on the Acropolis, built c.447-433 BCE.
Pediment
in Classic Greek architecture, a triangular gable under the roof of a building, or similar triangular field.
Pendant
1 projecting or suspended boss in Gothic architecture. 2 decoration at the end of a Gable roof. 3 one of a pair of works.
Pendant vault
vault decorated with hanging stone bosses or terminals; found in late Gothic architecture: see vault construction.
Pendentive
curved triangular section of vaulting in a Dome.
Peristyle
colonnade around Classical temple or court, or an inner court in a large house surrounded by a colonnade.
Perpendicular
the English Gothic style of c.1335 to c.1530; its most characteristic feature is vertical window tracery.
Pier
solid support between door or window openings, or supporting a bridge; usually square although it may be cylindrical, hence cylindrical pier. A compound pier in Gothic architecture is a group of Shafts. See vault construction.
Pilaster
rectangular attached column that projects from a wall by less than one third of its width.
Pillar
vertical supporting member; unlike a column, it may be square.
Pinnacle
conical or pyramid-shaped ornament on top of a spire, especially in Gothic architecture.
Plate tracery
of windows, early form of Gothic tracery with simple wide mullions.
Plinth
1 the rectangular stone slab or block that forms the lowest member on which a column or statue stands. 2 projecting base of a wall.
Podium
1 continuous base of a building or room. 2 raised platform.
Porch
covered entrance, usually at the main door of a building.
Portal
imposing entrance of a building.
Portico
covered colonade at the entrance to a building.
Porticus
small porch built on the north or south side of English pre-Conquest churches. Sometimes a porticus was built on both sides, thus forming rudimentary transepts.
Predella
1 a platform on which an altar stands. 2 lower part of painted altarpiece.
Presbytery
east end of a church, between the choir and High altar; sometimes synonymous with sanctuary.
Pyramid
Egyptian stone or brick tomb; rising from a square base to a triangular apex.
Qibla
west wall of a mosque, indicating the direction of Mecca.
Quadrangle
rectangular or square figure, or four-sided courtyard.
Quatrefoill
four-arc opening in Gothic tracery. 2 four-lobed decorative motif.
Quincunx
an arrangement of five objects with four at the corners of a square and one in the center.

R

Radiating chapel
chapel radiating from the apse or Ambulatory of a church.
Rayonnant
style of Gothic architecture of the late 13th and 14th centuries, usually referring to the tracery of windows, e.g. rose windows. It preceded the Flamboyant Style.
Rectilinear
style of architecture. the last phase of Gothic architecture c.1335-1530 characterized by vertical tracery; also called Perpendicular.
Reinforced Concrete
concrete reinforced with metal wire to give increased strength.
Reredos
ornamental screen hehind an altar.
Reveal
the inside surface of a door or window, cut at right angles to the face of the wall. revetment
wall built to hold back a mass of earth. water. etc; also called a retaining wall.
Rib
projecting band or molding on a vault or ceiling; see vault construction.
Rib Vault
a cross vault with arched ribs across the sides and diagonals of the bay that support, or seem to support, the infilling; see vault construction.
Ridgepole
the horizontal timber at the ridge of a roof where the rafters are fastened.
Ridge Rib
a supporting or decorative rib running along the central axis of a vault; see vault Construction.
Rococo
elegant, decorative style of c.1730-80. During the 19th century the term acquired pejorative connotations, meaning trivial or over-ornate.
Romanesque
style of architecture that lasted from 1000 to 1150 in France and to the 13th century in the rest of Europe; characterized by massive vaults and rounded arches. The term is also applied to the fine and decorative arts of the period.
Rood
screen screen separating the nave and choir in a church.
Rosette
circular ornament, especially in architecture, shaped like a formalized rose.
Rose window
circular window with radiating tracery, found in Gothic architecture.
Rotunda
round building or internal room surmounted by a dome.

S

Sacristy
room attached to a church in which the vestments and sacred vessels are kept, and where priests are attired.
Sanctuary
holiest part of temple or church, containing the altar.
Scalloped capital
block capital whose four sides have a series of curves or scallops.
Scroll
architectural ornament similar in form to a scroll of parchment.
Stuccatore
plasterer, someone who works in stucco.
Stucco
slow-setting lime and marble plaster that can be modeled and carved for decorating interiors.
Stylobate
continuous base of a Colonnade.

T

Tabernacle
niche or receptacle containing the Holy Sacrament, usually above the altar.
Tectonic
related to building and construction.
Templon
Colonnade in a Middle Byzantine church that closes off the chancel.
Tessellation
pattern of mosaic or pavement floor, composed of blocks of stone, marble, etc.
Tracery
ornamental stone work in window openings, especially in Gothic architecture. Bar tracery dates from c.1245 and has narrow shafts of stone branching out to form a decorative pattern; it is more delicate and elaborate than plate tracery, which has more solid stone.
Transept
transverse arm of a cross-shaped church.
Transitional style
the style that developed between Romanesque and Gothic.
Tribune
1 upper story in a church, above the aisle. 2 a bishop's throne. 3 raised floor in a Roman Basilica.
Triforium
passage in the wall of the nave, between the main arcade and clerestory: see vault construction.
Triglyph
projecting block with three vertical grooves, found alternately with Metopes in a Doric frieze.
Triumphal arch
Roman monument erected to commemorate a victory; later adopted by 19th-century town planning as an architectural feature.
Trumeau
stone center post in a doorway.
Tufa
any easily hewn rock such as limestone, used for building. Also used as a synonym for sandstone.
Twentieth century architecture
Period which featured the following architectural styles: Art Nouveau (1900-1920), Early Modernism (1900-1925), Continental Avant-Garde (De Stijl, Neue Sachlichkeit) (1900-1925), Steel-frame Skyscraper architecture (1900-2000), Bauhaus (1919-1933), Modernism and Art Deco (1925-1940), Totalitarian architecture (Germany, USSR) (1928-1940), Late Modernism (1945-1970), High Tech Corporate Design architecture (1945-2000), Postmodernism (1960-2000), Minimalism (1970-2000), Deconstructivism (1980-2000), Blobitecture (1990-2000).
Tympanum
triangular surface enclosed by a pediment, or the semicircle above an arched doorway.

U-V

Valve
leaf of a folding door.
Vault
arched roof or ceiling in stone.
Vault construction
in Gothic architecture, the architectural structure for directing pressures to maintain vaults.
Vaulting
series of vaults, or style of vault.
Vernacular
architectural style; using native, local materials and styles.
Volute
spiral scroll ornament, usually on Greek Ionic Captials, also on furniture.

W-Z

Wall Arcade
series of arches attached to a wall.
Westwerk
west part of church in Carolingian and Ottonian architecture, having an apse, towers, sometimes a transcept, in addition to the usual arrangement at the east end.
Ziggurat
ancient Babylonian and Assyrian pyramid-shaped construction.
Zigzag
pattern formed of lines that make abrupt right and left turns; in Norman architecture, zigzag is synonymous with Chevron.