[sof-it] 
| the underside of an architectural feature, as a beam, arch, ceiling, vault, or cornice. |
| sof·fit (sŏf'ĭt) n. The underside of a structural component, such as a beam, arch, staircase, or cornice. [French soffite, from Italian soffitto, from Vulgar Latin *suffīctus, past participle of suffīgere, to fasten beneath; see suffix.] |
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