Glossary of Architectural Terms

Question 1

Agora

Answer 1

Open area for assemblies, meetings, and markets in ancient Greece.

Question 2

Aisle

Answer 2

Division of the main structure of Roman basilicas and Christian churches into lateral areas adjacent to, and on both sides of the nave.

Question 3

Acropolis

Answer 3

Group of main temples on an elevated section, or hill, in ancient Greece.

Question 4

Ambo

Answer 4

Pulpit or stand in Early Christian or Byzantine churches used for readings.

Question 5

Amphitheater

Answer 5

Outdoor theater, either round or semicircular, with tiered seats for the audience.

Question 6

Apse

Answer 6

Semicircular, polygonal or square end of a Roman basilica or Christian church.

Question 7

Aqueduct

Answer 7

Means of channeling or carrying water.

Question 8

Arch

Answer 8

Curved structure that spans an opening and is usually formed by voussoirs.

Question 9

Arcade

Answer 9

Series of arches carried on columns; can be attached to a wall or freestanding.

Question 10

Atrium

Answer 10

Court with open roof; in Roman houses it included a basin to catch rainwater; in early Christian churches, a forecourt with a colonnade leading to the church entrance; in modern times often a glass covered interior.

Question 11

Auditorium

Answer 11

In an amphitheater, the circular or semicircular area of tiered seats for the audience.

Question 12

Barrel Vault

Answer 12

Continuous semicircular ceiling.

Question 13

Basilica

Answer 13

Roman meeting hall with high central nave, clerestory windows, apse and often side aisles, used to law courts, meetings and other assemblies; adapted in Early Christian churches.

Question 14

Basilican Church

Answer 14

Early Christian church base on the basilica with central nave and clerestory windows, two or four side aisles, an apse at one end, and covered with a timber roof; the basilica remained a basic Christian church building type until modern times.

Question 15

Broken Pediment

Answer 15

Pediment that has a gap where the apex would be.

Question 16

Buttress

Answer 16

Heavy structure against a wall that carries the outward thrust of a vault or dome down to a lower support or the ground.

Question 17

Cantilever

Answer 17

Beam or other structural member that projects past its support at one end and is free at the other.

Question 18

Caryatid

Answer 18

Sculpture of a figure, usually a draped female, used in place of a column.

Question 19

Cathedral

Answer 19

Church where the bishop presides; other churches in the bishop’s area of authority are subordinate.

Question 20

Capital

Answer 20

Highest part of a column where it meets the entablature; design reflects the different architectural orders.

Question 21

Cella

Answer 21

Room in a classical temple that houses the statue of the god of that temple; same as the Greek naos.

Question 22

Chancel

Answer 22

Extension of a church, usually beyond the transept, that includes the choir and apse.

Question 23

Choir

Answer 23

Area in the chancel, usually immediately beyond the transept, in which the choir is seated; can also mean the entire chancel.

Question 24

Classical Architecture

Answer 24

Architecture of ancient Greece and Rome; also applied to later buildings based on Greek and Roman forms.

Question 25

Clerestory Windows

Answer 25

Windows on the walls of a nave that rise above the roofs of the side aisles.

Question 26

Cloister

Answer 26

Covered and often colonnaded structure in monasteries, with open courtyard in the center, that is reserved for monks.

Question 27

Colonnade

Answer 27

Row of columns supporting a beam, entablature, or roof structure.

Question 28

Column

Answer 28

Cylindrical vertical support member.

Question 29

Composite Order

Answer 29

Combination of Corinthian and Ionic orders; the capital has acanthus leaves and scroll volutes.

Question 30

Concrete

Answer 30

Structural material, composed of cement, water, and aggregate, that can be cast in a multitude of shapes.

Question 31

Corbeled Arch

Answer 31

Arch constructed of horizontal stone layers in which each layer projects beyond the previous one below until they meet at the top of the arch.

Question 32

Corinthian Order

Answer 32

Greek order with slim fluted columns and capitals decorated with acanthus leaves.

Question 33

Crossing

Answer 33

Space created in a basilican church where the nave is intersected by the transept.

Question 34

Cupola

Answer 34

Small dome, sometimes on top of a larger dome.

Question 35

Dome

Answer 35

Circular convex structure that covers an interior space; sometimes mounted on a drum; semicircular domes often cover apses and can also act as buttresses.

Question 36

Doric Order

Answer 36

Greek order with sturdy fluted columns and plain capitals.

Question 37

Drum

Answer 37

Circular or polygonal wall that supports a dome.

Question 38

Elevation

Answer 38

Projection of a building from one side into the vertical plane showing the arrangement of windows, roof, etc.

Question 39

Entablature

Answer 39

Horizontal structure supported by columns in classical architecture.

Question 40

Entasis

Answer 40

Slight convex swelling of the sides of classical columns to counteract the optical illusion that a column with straight sides is slightly thinner in the center than at the top and bottom.

Question 41

Fenestration

Answer 41

Windows.

Question 42

Fluting

Answer 42

Vertical grooving of columns and pilasters.

Question 43

Flying Buttress

Answer 43

Detached vertical structure adjacent to vaulting that arches over to the main structure at the point of outward thrust from the vault and carries the thrust down to a lower support; a feature of Gothic cathedrals that permits thin walls and large clerestory windows.