ovolo

[ oh-vuh-loh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Architecture.

, plural o·vo·li [oh, -v, uh, -lahy].

a convex molding forming or approximating in section a quarter of a circle or ellipse.

ovolo

/ ˈəʊvəˌləʊ /

architect a convex moulding having a cross section in the form of a quarter of a circle or ellipse Also calledquarter roundthumb Compare congé echinus

Origin of ovolo¹

1655–65; < Italian, variant (now obsolete) of uovolo, diminutive of uovo egg ¹ < Latin ōvum

Origin of ovolo¹

C17: from Italian: a little egg, from ovo egg, from Latin ōvum

Echinus (e-kīnus), in architecture, the ovolo or quarter-round convex moulding, seen in capitals of the Doric order.

They are of similar size and general appearance to the ordinary ovolo moulding plane.

Ovolo, a moulding, the profile of which resembles the outline of an egg, used in Classic architecture.

A simple, hand-tooled ovolo ornaments the jambs and architrave casings of the keyed arch.

A reeded ovolo and deeply cut and drilled denticulated member lend sufficient emphasis to the string course of the cornice.

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