finial
Use Finial in a sentence
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i noun
1.
Architecture. a relatively small, ornamental, terminal feature at the top of a gable, pinnacle, etc.
2.
an ornamental termination to the top of a piece of furniture, or of one part of such a piece.
3.
Typography. a curve terminating the main stroke of the characters in some italic fonts.
Related forms
fin·i·aled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To finial
Collins
World English Dictionary
finial (ˈfaɪnɪəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | an ornament on top of a spire, gable, etc, esp in the form of a foliated fleur-de-lys |
| 2. | an ornament at the top of a piece of furniture, etc |
| [C14: from finial (adj), variant of | |
| 'finialed | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Finial
is always a great word to know.
So is lunette. Does it mean:
| any of a number of similar major vertical divisions of a large interior or wall; a division of a window between a mullion and an adjoining mullion or jamb |
| an area of wall enframed by an arch or vault |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
finial
"ornament at the top of a spire, gable, etc.," 1448, from feneal "putting an end to, binding" (1426), a variant of final.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
finial
in architecture, the decorative upper termination of a pinnacle, gable end, buttress, canopy, or spire. In the Romanesque and Gothic styles, it usually consists of a vertical, pointed central element surrounded by four outcurving leaves or scrolls. When the form it decorates has crockets (small, independent, sharply projecting ornaments, usually occurring in rows), the finial may be formed of four or more crockets surrounding the central upright. Finials in the form of candelabrum shafts occur frequently in early Renaissance work. The term now applies loosely to any small pinnacle, knob, or other decorative feature terminating a vertical motif. See also crocket.
Learn more about finial with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
The cracked finial atop the pyramid repaired, and exterior around clocks cleaned.
The damaged portions were carefully restored except for a finial on the steeple.
In lieu of mitered corners, a square post is installed which has a finial on its top.
Finial spent the time since then attempting to perfect it.
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