Word Study
cornice
CIDE DICTIONARY
cornice, n. [F. corniche, It. cornice, LL. coronix, cornix, fr. L. coronis a curved line, a flourish with the pen at the end of a book or chapter, Gr. ; akin to L. corona crown. sEE Crown, and cf. Coronis.].
Any horizontal, molded or otherwise decorated projection which crowns or finishes the part to which it is affixed; as, the cornice of an order, pedestal, door, window, or house. Gwilt. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
cornice, n.
1 Archit. a an ornamental moulding round the wall of a room just below the ceiling. b a horizontal moulded projection crowning a building or structure, esp. the uppermost member of the entablature of an order, surmounting the frieze.
2 Mountaineering an overhanging mass of hardened snow at the edge of a precipice.
1 Archit. a an ornamental moulding round the wall of a room just below the ceiling. b a horizontal moulded projection crowning a building or structure, esp. the uppermost member of the entablature of an order, surmounting the frieze.
2 Mountaineering an overhanging mass of hardened snow at the edge of a precipice.
Derivative
corniced adj.
Etymology
F corniche etc. f. It. cornice, perh. f. L cornix -icis crow
ROGET THESAURUS
cornice
Summit
N summit, summity, top, peak, vertex, apex, zenith, pinnacle, acme, culmination, meridian, utmost height, ne plus utra, height, pitch, maximum, climax, culminating point, crowning point, turning point, turn of the tide, fountain head, water shed, water parting, sky, pole, tip, tip top, crest, crow's nest, cap, truck, nib, end, crown, brow, head, nob, noddle, pate, capsheaf, high places, heights, topgallant mast, sky scraper, quarter deck, hurricane deck, architrave, frieze, cornice, coping stone, zoophorus, capital, epistyle, sconce, pediment, entablature, tympanum, ceiling, attic, loft, garret, house top, upper story, summit conference, summit, peak of achievement, peak of performance, peaks and troughs, peaks and valleys (in graphs), highest &c (high), top, top most, upper most, tiptop, culminating, meridian, meridional, capital, head, polar, supreme, supernal, topgallant, atop, at the top of the tree, en flute, fleur deau.For further exploring for "cornice" in Webster Dictionary Online
