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SECTION VI.
Modern general Terms
The English architecture of our own day is a revival of the Roman, or more correctly speaking an adoption of the Italian style, although an attempt, and in many respects it will be admitted a laudable one, has been recently made to substitute in our most important edifices the pure Grecian. On these models various modifications have, it is true, been engrafted, which some writers denounce as barbarisms, and others regard with the eye of sincere faith; with these matters of speculation, however, we shall not interfere: but having thus attended to the parent source from which the greater and best part of modern practice has sprung, we shall proceed without further circumlocution to the definition of all those technicalities and characteristic terms in use both in the essential parts and ornamental details of the art, as now pursued; embracing public buildings, private dwellings, and aquatic architecture.
Abatjour, a sky-light, or a sloping aperture in the walls of prisons or subterraneous places for the admission of light.
Abatvoix, the sounding board above a pulpit or rostrum.
Abrevoirs, the joints between stones or bricks when laid.
Abutments or Butments, the extreme piers of a bridge joining it to the land.
Alcove, a recess or part of a chamber separated by a partition of columns or an estrade, an elevation in the floor.
Almehrab, among the Mahometans is a niche in their mosques, which directs to the temple of Mecca, to which they bow their heads when praying.
Amkas, the audience chamber of the Great Mogul.
Ancones or Trusses, modillions placed vertically on a wall.
Aqueduct, a channel formed across a valley between two mountains for the purpose of conveying the water from one to the other on a level; it is usually supported by one or more ranges of arcades. Some aqueducts are constructed under ground.
Arabesque or Moresque, a style of ornaments in painting or sculpture, in which no animals are represented.
Arcade, an aperture or a range of apertures with arched heads.
Arch, (arcus), an assemblage of materials put together in some regular curve, as a semicircle, an ellipsis, or a parabola. Arches higher than a semicircle are called surmounted; less than a semicircle, surbased. The intrados is the inner and the extrados the outer curvature, the crown is that part of the intrados most remote from the springing. A trunk arch is that, of which only the intrados and not the face, is seen. A rampant arch is that, where the springing on the one side is higher than on the other
Architraves, the mouldings round square headed openings, doors, or windows, often surmounted with a frieze and cornice.
Archivolt, the mouldings on the face of an arch.
Armamentary, (armamentarium) an armoury or arsenal of warlike implements.
Arris, (arête) the line of separation between two surfaces in different planes, forming the vertex of a salient angle.
Arsenal, a repository for military stores; also the place where implements of war are made.
Attic, a small height of pannelling placed above an order, it is sometimes enriched with a balustrade, sculpture, and a variety of ornaments: it is also applied to the upper floor of a dwelling-house having a flat ceiling.
Avenue, (ad venire) a long range of columns, or statues, for the decoration of the approach to a mansion.
Aviary, a building enclosed wherein birds are kept, it is furnished with a reservoir for water, and stoves to warm the air, when necessary; and generally surrounded with trees and shrubs.
Balcony, (balcon) an uncovered platform on the front of a building.
Ballon, a small globe or ball decorating the tops of pillars.
Balustrade, a series of small pillars swelled called balustres, standing upon a plinth, and surmounted by a light cornice. It serves to ornament an attic, or forms a parapet to terraces, bridges, or the like.
Banquets, the raised foot-ways adjoining to the balustrade or parapet on the sides of bridges.
Barbacan, a narrow canal or opening left in the walls of buildings likely to be overflowed, to drain off the water.
Barracks or Caserns, (caserne), little lodges for soldiers in a camp; a building to lodge troops, divided into apartments for the officers, rooms for the privates, a chapel, mess rooms, orderly and guard rooms, a hospital, stables and offices, a magazine and store-house.
Basement, a high, continued, or broken pedestal, under an order; also the sunk story of a dwelling house.
Bay, the space between any two or more solids.
Belvidere, an observatory or turret, generally a kind of balcony attached to a dwelling house commanding an extensive prospect.
Bilection mouldings, such as are generally used on large gates and external doors, and which project before the face of the door or gate.
Blocking course, the course of stone-work laid above the cornice to serve as a parapet to a building.
Bossage or Rustic-work, the joints of masonry when channelled. See Rustics.
Bridge, a building raised over a river for the convenience of communication to the opposite shores. Bridges are mostly constructed of stone, brick, or wood, with a series of arches and piers; sometimes the arches are formed of cast iron ribs; and at others the bridge is made by iron chains or rods secured at the abutments, and acting by tension; this is called a suspension bridge.
Bronze, a compound of copper with a small proportion of tin, and sometimes other metals, of which statues and ornamental vases are made.
Bull's eye, a small circular window.
Caisson, a wooden case sunk into the water, the bottom of which is suffered to remain as a foundation for the piers of a bridge.
Cambers, flat arches over openings.
Caracol, a staircase that is in the form of a spiral curve.
Cartouches, modillions when used in internal decoration: ornaments representing a scroll of paper with some device.
Casine, (casino), a small country house on a large estate for the temporary residence of persons taking the exercise of field sports.
Ceiling, (coelum), the inside of the roof or top of an apartment in distinction to the floor.
Centre, (cintre), a curved wooden frame-work to support the materials in the formation of an arch during its construction.
Chimney-piece, the ornamental marble, stone, or wood-work, round the opening for the fireplace, consisting of the jambs or vertical sides; the mantle or horizontal part at the top between the jambs, the shelf or projecting part above the mantle; the slips, pieces covering the internal sides of the jambs; the slab, the marble, stone, or metal projecting before the grate, level with the floor, of which it forms a part; the hearth, a continuation of the slab under the grate; the covings, the angular or curved sides above the grate between the slips and the back of the chimney.
Coffer-dam or Batardeau, piles driven into the water so as to enclose a space, which is kept dry for the foundations of the piers of bridges to be laid.
Coffers, sunk panels in a ceiling.
Coin or Quoin, an external corner; the facings of stone or brick projecting from the wall at the angles of a building.
Colonnade, a straight or circular range of columns.
Column, a pillar which is the frustum of a conoid: columns are variously named according to their decorations, form, disposition, and destination:
A Pastoral column, representing the bark of a tree; a Carolytic column, having the shaft foliated with leaves disposed in festoons;
Rusticated columns, such as have blocks or rustics upon the shaft; Coupled columns, such as are disposed in pairs so as to touch at the bases; Spiral or twisted columns, having circumvolutions like a screw up the shaft; Inserted columns, such as are let into a wall; Insulated columns those wholly detached; Median columns, the two centre ones in a portico, having a wider intercolumniation than those adjoining;
Astronomical columns, such as are cylindrical and built hollow, with a communication to the top, where an armillary sphere is placed for the purposes of astronomy; Triumphal columns, those whose shafts are adorned with reliefs; Menian columns, slender columns which support a balcony; Rostral columns, those ornamented with beaks of ships in commemoration of naval victories.
Conservatory, a large building to contain curious exotics and rare plants, which are planted in beds of fine composts of earth, the front and sides consist of large windows to admit as much light and air as possible, and flues are constructed so as to produce a greater degree of heat when necessary.
Console, an ornamented bracket placed vertically; those placed horizontally are called cantilevers.
Coping, stone laid in a slanting position on the tops of walls to protect them from the weather, and to throw the rain water into the gutters on the roof.
Corbeilles, carving representing baskets of fruit and flowers.
Corridor, a long gallery leading to the several apartments in a house.
Cottage, a hut; a small country habitation, consisting usually of one story above the ground, without a basement, and having the roof with dripping eaves.
Court, the residence of a prince; a hall of justice; the open space before a dwelling house, enclosed by a wall, railing, or fence; when the space is sunk even with the basement story it is called an area.
Cousinet, the first stone of an arch from the springing.
Cove, the hollow of a vault: a coved ceiling is one whose section is a portion of a circle on the sides, and flat in the centre.
Crescent, a series of buildings disposed in the arc of a circle.
Culvert, a small hollow circular arch, formed under ground to drain the overflowings of a river from the surrounding land.
Cupola, a roof or vault rising externally in a convex curve, either from a circular or elliptical base.
Dado or Die, the plain part of the sides of a room, between the base and surbase.
Dairy, the place in which milk is manufactured and kept; there should be a reservoir in the centre, from which water could be forced through apertures in the pavement, or spouted over it; the walls and stands for the milk pans should be faced with Dutch tiles for coolness; and a square opening left in the roof, the vertical sides of which being filled with luffer boarding, the air is admitted without the rays of the sun: an apartment adjoining is fitted up with coppers and sinks, for the purpose of cleansing the various utensils; and sometimes there are additional rooms for partaking of the luxuries of the dairy.
Dam, a bank raised in order to stop or turn the course of water.
Divan, in eastern countries, that part at the one extremity of a state apartment, which is raised and covered with cushions and embroldered hangings for seats, the corner ones being the places of honor: a portion of the floor at the foot of the divan is enclosed by a balustrade, and covered with rich carpets: on the outside of this is a space paved with Mosaic work proportioned to the size of the chamber, and called the attaby, allotted for the attendants in waiting: at the back of the divan is frequently a kiosk or bay window supported with corbels; it is nearly as wide as the divan, and raised about two feet above it; the ceiling is flat and rather lower than that of the divan; it has windows on every side for the admission of cool air.
Dock, a large reservoir or basin in which ships are laid up: the entrance to a dock is through a narrow channel enclosed with flood gates, by means of which the water in the dock may be kept at any height, which is indicated by figures of feet or fathoms marked on one of the uprights near the gates; these and the sides of the channel are formed of vertical and horizontal timbers braced and bound together: the flooring of planks against which the gates are shut is called the apron.
Dome, a roof springing from a circular or polygonal base, and rising externally in a convex curve; hence every cupola is a dome; but a dome may not always be a cupola.
Door, a framed board for closing or opening the aperture left in an apartment for egress and ingress: folding doors are such as are made to open in two leaves, which meet in the centre when shut: double doors are two distinct doors in the thickness of a wall, used in winter apartments for the better exclusion of the cold air.
Dormer window, one that projects from the sloping sides of a roof, and stands vertically.
Draw-bridge, one so constructed as to lift up in the centre by means of chains and levers, in order to stop the passage at pleasure; sometimes the bridge, when flat, is turned with its length to the stream, to enable small craft to pass ; this is done by means of levers and pulleys, and is then called a swing bridge.
Dressings, ornamental mouldings round windows and doors or arches on the face of a wall.
Dyke, a bank raised against a great force of water, formed in a very strong manner, broader at the base than the top, and strengthened with fascines.
Eaves, the parts of a roof which project before the face of the building.
Estrade, a French term, signifying a public walk raised from the road and enclosed by a balustrade.
Ewry, the office or apartment in the king's household, or in that of a nobleman wherein the table-linen is kept.
Extrados of a bridge, the curvature or surface of the road-way.
Eye of a dome, an aperture formed at the summit.
Facade, (facies), the principal front of any building.
Flank, the side of a building.
Floor, the area or horizontal surface of a room upon which we walk: it is also applied to the different stories of a house, thus: that below the level of the ground is the basement or sunk floor; that nearly even with the surface, the ground floor; the one above it, the first; the next, the second, etc.
Fret, (fretum), a raised or sunk ornament formed of grooves at right angles to each other in a series of continued compartments.
Gallery, a large passage leading to several apartments; a room for the exhibition of painting and sculpture; a platform or floor raised upon columns or arches, or supported by cantilevers in the interior of a public building for the accommodation of more persons than the base could contain.
Garret, (garite), the tower of a citadel: it also signifies the upper story of a dwelling-house, when taken wholly or partially from the roof.
Geometry, is that science which treats of the properties, description, and relations of magitudes: the part relative to the properties of lines is called lineametry, of surfaces, planimetry, of solids, stereometry.
Lines are either right, curved, or mixed.
Surfaces, or superficies, consist of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, and circles.
Solids consist of cubes, spheres, parallelopipedons, pyramids, prisms, cones, conoids, cylinders, cylindroids, polyedrons, prismoids, and cunei.
Conic sections treat of the plane figures produced by the intersection of a plane with a cone; they are the triangle, circle, ellipsis, parabola, and hyperbola, the three last being peculiarly called conic sections.
The solids described by the revolution of some curved line about their axis, are the oblate and prolate spheroid, paraboloid, hyperboloid, and circular, elliptical, parabolic, or hyperbolic spindles.
The regular solids, or Platonic bodies are polyedrons, contained under a certain number of equal and regular plane figures.
The tetraedron, or regular triangular pyramid having four triangular faces.
The hexaedron or cube having six square faces.
The octaedron having eight triangular faces.
The dodecaedron having twelve pentagonal faces.
The icosaedron, having twenty triangular faces.
The curves of the higher orders consist of the conchoid of Nicomedes, the sinic curve; the cycloid, and the epicycloid.
The spirals are, the logarithmic, hyperbolic, and the spiral of Archimedes.
Stereotomy, is that branch of geometry which treats of the sections of solids.
Trigonometry, is that branch of geometry which treats of the calculations relating to the sides and angles of triangles, and is both plane and spherical.
Giallo antico, an ancient marble of a bright yellow colour.
Grotto, a hollow cave artificially constructed, and decorated with shells, stones, rocaille work, and fragments of architectural ornaments, etc. forming a cool retreat.
Guard-house or room, a building or room for the use of those sentinels and officers composing a guard, when off their sentry during the time of their guard; it is fitted up with low sloping wooden planes, for repose, and with a gun rack; the walls of state-guard chambers are decorated with military implements.
Guillochi, ornaments in the form of bands and strings.
Hall, the space immediately beyond the entrance of a house, leading to the different apartments; a court of justice, as Westminster Hall; the public room of a corporation; these halls are built in various styles, and often richly decorated, so as in some towns to serve for assembly and concert rooms.
Heather roof, one that is covered with thatch or heath.
Hospital, a building erected for the reception of the sick, consisting of wards, an infirmary, chapel, dining hall, apartments for the officers of the establishment, and all the necessary offices.
House, an ordinary dwelling; large and complete country houses consist of the following compartments:
On the ground floor. The hall, vestibule, staircases, dining room, breakfast room, drawing rooms, billiard room, library, study, dressing room, bath, and offices. On the upper floor. Ladies' sitting rooms, or boudoirs, bed chambers, dressing rooms, and nurseries.
Hydraulics, that part of mechanics treating of the motion of fluids, and the machines in which they are concerned.
Hydrostatics, the part which treats of the pressure and equilibrium of fluids.
Impost, a collection of mouldings at the top of a pier surmounted with an arch.
Interfenestrations, (inter fenestras,) the pier or solid between windows in a range.
Jambs, the sides of an aperture.
Jet d'eau, an artificial fountain from which the water is made to spout to a great height from sculptured figures standing in a reservoir.
Jetty, (jetée,) a long narrow pier, generally constructed of timbers strongly braced together, projecting into the sea, and forming a convenient landing and harbour.
Jib door, one so constructed as to be entirely in the same face or faces of a wall, thus preserving the dado and surbase on the door, and thereby keeping uniformity in the room.
Key stone, the centre stone of an arch.
Lantern light, a light formed in a flat roof so that the glass may be in vertical planes.
Laundry, the building appropriated to the purposes of washing, consisting of a wash-house with coppers and troughs, a drying and ironing room, and a folding room.
Lazaretto, a public hospital; in foreign countries the house in which quarantine is performed.
Light-house, a tower built on an eminence, of a square, polygonal, or cylindrical figure, generally decreasing in width towards the top, which is crowned with a lantern, where lights are hung for a guide to mariners, sometimes with reflectors exhibiting different coloured lights; under the lightroom is a small apartment for the men on duty.
Lintel, the horizontal beam laid over the head of an aperture.
Lobby, (laube,) a small hall or waiting room before a principal apartment in a house.
Luffer boarding, a series of boards placed slanting in an aperture, so as to exclude rain, but to admit air.
Lunette, an aperture in a cylindrical or spherical ceiling, the head of which is also spherical.
Luthern, a window in an attic over the cornice of an order.
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SECTION VI.
Modern general Terms
The English architecture of our own day is a revival of the Roman, or more correctly speaking an adoption of the Italian style, although an attempt, and in many respects it will be admitted a laudable one, has been recently made to substitute in our most important edifices the pure Grecian. On these models various modifications have, it is true, been engrafted, which some writers denounce as barbarisms, and others regard with the eye of sincere faith; with these matters of speculation, however, we shall not interfere: but having thus attended to the parent source from which the greater and best part of modern practice has sprung, we shall proceed without further circumlocution to the definition of all those technicalities and characteristic terms in use both in the essential parts and ornamental details of the art, as now pursued; embracing public buildings, private dwellings, and aquatic architecture.
Abatjour, a sky-light, or a sloping aperture in the walls of prisons or subterraneous places for the admission of light.
Abatvoix, the sounding board above a pulpit or rostrum.
Abrevoirs, the joints between stones or bricks when laid.
Abutments or Butments, the extreme piers of a bridge joining it to the land.
Alcove, a recess or part of a chamber separated by a partition of columns or an estrade, an elevation in the floor.
Almehrab, among the Mahometans is a niche in their mosques, which directs to the temple of Mecca, to which they bow their heads when praying.
Amkas, the audience chamber of the Great Mogul.
Ancones or Trusses, modillions placed vertically on a wall.
Aqueduct, a channel formed across a valley between two mountains for the purpose of conveying the water from one to the other on a level; it is usually supported by one or more ranges of arcades. Some aqueducts are constructed under ground.
Arabesque or Moresque, a style of ornaments in painting or sculpture, in which no animals are represented.
Arcade, an aperture or a range of apertures with arched heads.
Arch, (arcus), an assemblage of materials put together in some regular curve, as a semicircle, an ellipsis, or a parabola. Arches higher than a semicircle are called surmounted; less than a semicircle, surbased. The intrados is the inner and the extrados the outer curvature, the crown is that part of the intrados most remote from the springing. A trunk arch is that, of which only the intrados and not the face, is seen. A rampant arch is that, where the springing on the one side is higher than on the other
Architraves, the mouldings round square headed openings, doors, or windows, often surmounted with a frieze and cornice.
Archivolt, the mouldings on the face of an arch.
Armamentary, (armamentarium) an armoury or arsenal of warlike implements.
Arris, (arête) the line of separation between two surfaces in different planes, forming the vertex of a salient angle.
Arsenal, a repository for military stores; also the place where implements of war are made.
Attic, a small height of pannelling placed above an order, it is sometimes enriched with a balustrade, sculpture, and a variety of ornaments: it is also applied to the upper floor of a dwelling-house having a flat ceiling.
Avenue, (ad venire) a long range of columns, or statues, for the decoration of the approach to a mansion.
Aviary, a building enclosed wherein birds are kept, it is furnished with a reservoir for water, and stoves to warm the air, when necessary; and generally surrounded with trees and shrubs.
Balcony, (balcon) an uncovered platform on the front of a building.
Ballon, a small globe or ball decorating the tops of pillars.
Balustrade, a series of small pillars swelled called balustres, standing upon a plinth, and surmounted by a light cornice. It serves to ornament an attic, or forms a parapet to terraces, bridges, or the like.
Banquets, the raised foot-ways adjoining to the balustrade or parapet on the sides of bridges.
Barbacan, a narrow canal or opening left in the walls of buildings likely to be overflowed, to drain off the water.
Barracks or Caserns, (caserne), little lodges for soldiers in a camp; a building to lodge troops, divided into apartments for the officers, rooms for the privates, a chapel, mess rooms, orderly and guard rooms, a hospital, stables and offices, a magazine and store-house.
Basement, a high, continued, or broken pedestal, under an order; also the sunk story of a dwelling house.
Bay, the space between any two or more solids.
Belvidere, an observatory or turret, generally a kind of balcony attached to a dwelling house commanding an extensive prospect.
Bilection mouldings, such as are generally used on large gates and external doors, and which project before the face of the door or gate.
Blocking course, the course of stone-work laid above the cornice to serve as a parapet to a building.
Bossage or Rustic-work, the joints of masonry when channelled. See Rustics.
Bridge, a building raised over a river for the convenience of communication to the opposite shores. Bridges are mostly constructed of stone, brick, or wood, with a series of arches and piers; sometimes the arches are formed of cast iron ribs; and at others the bridge is made by iron chains or rods secured at the abutments, and acting by tension; this is called a suspension bridge.
Bronze, a compound of copper with a small proportion of tin, and sometimes other metals, of which statues and ornamental vases are made.
Bull's eye, a small circular window.
Caisson, a wooden case sunk into the water, the bottom of which is suffered to remain as a foundation for the piers of a bridge.
Cambers, flat arches over openings.
Caracol, a staircase that is in the form of a spiral curve.
Cartouches, modillions when used in internal decoration: ornaments representing a scroll of paper with some device.
Casine, (casino), a small country house on a large estate for the temporary residence of persons taking the exercise of field sports.
Ceiling, (coelum), the inside of the roof or top of an apartment in distinction to the floor.
Centre, (cintre), a curved wooden frame-work to support the materials in the formation of an arch during its construction.
Chimney-piece, the ornamental marble, stone, or wood-work, round the opening for the fireplace, consisting of the jambs or vertical sides; the mantle or horizontal part at the top between the jambs, the shelf or projecting part above the mantle; the slips, pieces covering the internal sides of the jambs; the slab, the marble, stone, or metal projecting before the grate, level with the floor, of which it forms a part; the hearth, a continuation of the slab under the grate; the covings, the angular or curved sides above the grate between the slips and the back of the chimney.
Coffer-dam or Batardeau, piles driven into the water so as to enclose a space, which is kept dry for the foundations of the piers of bridges to be laid.
Coffers, sunk panels in a ceiling.
Coin or Quoin, an external corner; the facings of stone or brick projecting from the wall at the angles of a building.
Colonnade, a straight or circular range of columns.
Column, a pillar which is the frustum of a conoid: columns are variously named according to their decorations, form, disposition, and destination:
A Pastoral column, representing the bark of a tree; a Carolytic column, having the shaft foliated with leaves disposed in festoons;
Rusticated columns, such as have blocks or rustics upon the shaft; Coupled columns, such as are disposed in pairs so as to touch at the bases; Spiral or twisted columns, having circumvolutions like a screw up the shaft; Inserted columns, such as are let into a wall; Insulated columns those wholly detached; Median columns, the two centre ones in a portico, having a wider intercolumniation than those adjoining;
Astronomical columns, such as are cylindrical and built hollow, with a communication to the top, where an armillary sphere is placed for the purposes of astronomy; Triumphal columns, those whose shafts are adorned with reliefs; Menian columns, slender columns which support a balcony; Rostral columns, those ornamented with beaks of ships in commemoration of naval victories.
Conservatory, a large building to contain curious exotics and rare plants, which are planted in beds of fine composts of earth, the front and sides consist of large windows to admit as much light and air as possible, and flues are constructed so as to produce a greater degree of heat when necessary.
Console, an ornamented bracket placed vertically; those placed horizontally are called cantilevers.
Coping, stone laid in a slanting position on the tops of walls to protect them from the weather, and to throw the rain water into the gutters on the roof.
Corbeilles, carving representing baskets of fruit and flowers.
Corridor, a long gallery leading to the several apartments in a house.
Cottage, a hut; a small country habitation, consisting usually of one story above the ground, without a basement, and having the roof with dripping eaves.
Court, the residence of a prince; a hall of justice; the open space before a dwelling house, enclosed by a wall, railing, or fence; when the space is sunk even with the basement story it is called an area.
Cousinet, the first stone of an arch from the springing.
Cove, the hollow of a vault: a coved ceiling is one whose section is a portion of a circle on the sides, and flat in the centre.
Crescent, a series of buildings disposed in the arc of a circle.
Culvert, a small hollow circular arch, formed under ground to drain the overflowings of a river from the surrounding land.
Cupola, a roof or vault rising externally in a convex curve, either from a circular or elliptical base.
Dado or Die, the plain part of the sides of a room, between the base and surbase.
Dairy, the place in which milk is manufactured and kept; there should be a reservoir in the centre, from which water could be forced through apertures in the pavement, or spouted over it; the walls and stands for the milk pans should be faced with Dutch tiles for coolness; and a square opening left in the roof, the vertical sides of which being filled with luffer boarding, the air is admitted without the rays of the sun: an apartment adjoining is fitted up with coppers and sinks, for the purpose of cleansing the various utensils; and sometimes there are additional rooms for partaking of the luxuries of the dairy.
Dam, a bank raised in order to stop or turn the course of water.
Divan, in eastern countries, that part at the one extremity of a state apartment, which is raised and covered with cushions and embroldered hangings for seats, the corner ones being the places of honor: a portion of the floor at the foot of the divan is enclosed by a balustrade, and covered with rich carpets: on the outside of this is a space paved with Mosaic work proportioned to the size of the chamber, and called the attaby, allotted for the attendants in waiting: at the back of the divan is frequently a kiosk or bay window supported with corbels; it is nearly as wide as the divan, and raised about two feet above it; the ceiling is flat and rather lower than that of the divan; it has windows on every side for the admission of cool air.
Dock, a large reservoir or basin in which ships are laid up: the entrance to a dock is through a narrow channel enclosed with flood gates, by means of which the water in the dock may be kept at any height, which is indicated by figures of feet or fathoms marked on one of the uprights near the gates; these and the sides of the channel are formed of vertical and horizontal timbers braced and bound together: the flooring of planks against which the gates are shut is called the apron.
Dome, a roof springing from a circular or polygonal base, and rising externally in a convex curve; hence every cupola is a dome; but a dome may not always be a cupola.
Door, a framed board for closing or opening the aperture left in an apartment for egress and ingress: folding doors are such as are made to open in two leaves, which meet in the centre when shut: double doors are two distinct doors in the thickness of a wall, used in winter apartments for the better exclusion of the cold air.
Dormer window, one that projects from the sloping sides of a roof, and stands vertically.
Draw-bridge, one so constructed as to lift up in the centre by means of chains and levers, in order to stop the passage at pleasure; sometimes the bridge, when flat, is turned with its length to the stream, to enable small craft to pass ; this is done by means of levers and pulleys, and is then called a swing bridge.
Dressings, ornamental mouldings round windows and doors or arches on the face of a wall.
Dyke, a bank raised against a great force of water, formed in a very strong manner, broader at the base than the top, and strengthened with fascines.
Eaves, the parts of a roof which project before the face of the building.
Estrade, a French term, signifying a public walk raised from the road and enclosed by a balustrade.
Ewry, the office or apartment in the king's household, or in that of a nobleman wherein the table-linen is kept.
Extrados of a bridge, the curvature or surface of the road-way.
Eye of a dome, an aperture formed at the summit.
Facade, (facies), the principal front of any building.
Flank, the side of a building.
Floor, the area or horizontal surface of a room upon which we walk: it is also applied to the different stories of a house, thus: that below the level of the ground is the basement or sunk floor; that nearly even with the surface, the ground floor; the one above it, the first; the next, the second, etc.
Fret, (fretum), a raised or sunk ornament formed of grooves at right angles to each other in a series of continued compartments.
Gallery, a large passage leading to several apartments; a room for the exhibition of painting and sculpture; a platform or floor raised upon columns or arches, or supported by cantilevers in the interior of a public building for the accommodation of more persons than the base could contain.
Garret, (garite), the tower of a citadel: it also signifies the upper story of a dwelling-house, when taken wholly or partially from the roof.
Geometry, is that science which treats of the properties, description, and relations of magitudes: the part relative to the properties of lines is called lineametry, of surfaces, planimetry, of solids, stereometry.
Lines are either right, curved, or mixed.
Surfaces, or superficies, consist of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, and circles.
Solids consist of cubes, spheres, parallelopipedons, pyramids, prisms, cones, conoids, cylinders, cylindroids, polyedrons, prismoids, and cunei.
Conic sections treat of the plane figures produced by the intersection of a plane with a cone; they are the triangle, circle, ellipsis, parabola, and hyperbola, the three last being peculiarly called conic sections.
The solids described by the revolution of some curved line about their axis, are the oblate and prolate spheroid, paraboloid, hyperboloid, and circular, elliptical, parabolic, or hyperbolic spindles.
The regular solids, or Platonic bodies are polyedrons, contained under a certain number of equal and regular plane figures.
The tetraedron, or regular triangular pyramid having four triangular faces.
The hexaedron or cube having six square faces.
The octaedron having eight triangular faces.
The dodecaedron having twelve pentagonal faces.
The icosaedron, having twenty triangular faces.
The curves of the higher orders consist of the conchoid of Nicomedes, the sinic curve; the cycloid, and the epicycloid.
The spirals are, the logarithmic, hyperbolic, and the spiral of Archimedes.
Stereotomy, is that branch of geometry which treats of the sections of solids.
Trigonometry, is that branch of geometry which treats of the calculations relating to the sides and angles of triangles, and is both plane and spherical.
Giallo antico, an ancient marble of a bright yellow colour.
Grotto, a hollow cave artificially constructed, and decorated with shells, stones, rocaille work, and fragments of architectural ornaments, etc. forming a cool retreat.
Guard-house or room, a building or room for the use of those sentinels and officers composing a guard, when off their sentry during the time of their guard; it is fitted up with low sloping wooden planes, for repose, and with a gun rack; the walls of state-guard chambers are decorated with military implements.
Guillochi, ornaments in the form of bands and strings.
Hall, the space immediately beyond the entrance of a house, leading to the different apartments; a court of justice, as Westminster Hall; the public room of a corporation; these halls are built in various styles, and often richly decorated, so as in some towns to serve for assembly and concert rooms.
Heather roof, one that is covered with thatch or heath.
Hospital, a building erected for the reception of the sick, consisting of wards, an infirmary, chapel, dining hall, apartments for the officers of the establishment, and all the necessary offices.
House, an ordinary dwelling; large and complete country houses consist of the following compartments:
On the ground floor. The hall, vestibule, staircases, dining room, breakfast room, drawing rooms, billiard room, library, study, dressing room, bath, and offices. On the upper floor. Ladies' sitting rooms, or boudoirs, bed chambers, dressing rooms, and nurseries.
Hydraulics, that part of mechanics treating of the motion of fluids, and the machines in which they are concerned.
Hydrostatics, the part which treats of the pressure and equilibrium of fluids.
Impost, a collection of mouldings at the top of a pier surmounted with an arch.
Interfenestrations, (inter fenestras,) the pier or solid between windows in a range.
Jambs, the sides of an aperture.
Jet d'eau, an artificial fountain from which the water is made to spout to a great height from sculptured figures standing in a reservoir.
Jetty, (jetée,) a long narrow pier, generally constructed of timbers strongly braced together, projecting into the sea, and forming a convenient landing and harbour.
Jib door, one so constructed as to be entirely in the same face or faces of a wall, thus preserving the dado and surbase on the door, and thereby keeping uniformity in the room.
Key stone, the centre stone of an arch.
Lantern light, a light formed in a flat roof so that the glass may be in vertical planes.
Laundry, the building appropriated to the purposes of washing, consisting of a wash-house with coppers and troughs, a drying and ironing room, and a folding room.
Lazaretto, a public hospital; in foreign countries the house in which quarantine is performed.
Light-house, a tower built on an eminence, of a square, polygonal, or cylindrical figure, generally decreasing in width towards the top, which is crowned with a lantern, where lights are hung for a guide to mariners, sometimes with reflectors exhibiting different coloured lights; under the lightroom is a small apartment for the men on duty.
Lintel, the horizontal beam laid over the head of an aperture.
Lobby, (laube,) a small hall or waiting room before a principal apartment in a house.
Luffer boarding, a series of boards placed slanting in an aperture, so as to exclude rain, but to admit air.
Lunette, an aperture in a cylindrical or spherical ceiling, the head of which is also spherical.
Luthern, a window in an attic over the cornice of an order.
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