| the distinctively treated upper end of a column |
| having the form of an ogee or double curve, such as a bar of tracery |
conch (kɒŋk, kɒntʃ) ![]() | |
| —n , pl conchs, conches | |
| 1. | any of various tropical marine gastropod molluscs of the genus Strombus and related genera, esp S. gigas (giant conch), characterized by a large brightly coloured spiral shell |
| 2. | the shell of such a mollusc, used as a trumpet |
| 3. | architect another name for concha |
| [C16: from Latin concha, from Greek konkhē shellfish] | |