Glossary of Religious Architecture
Dictionary of most important terminology in Sacred Architecture. For quick navigation, use Ctrl+F or F3 to find on page.
Abacus
A flat slab or block of stone or wood forming the top of a capital and supporting an entablature or other load, uppermost part of a capital
Ambulatory
Semicircular or polygonal aisle
Abutment
The part of stone or brick wall which sustains an arch
Apse
Semicircular or polygonal termination to chancel
Arcade
A row of arches, e.g. between the nave and aisles, of cathedral, supporting the main wall which is pierced by windows in a clerestory
Arcading
Rows of small arches used mainly for effect, either on the lower part of an internal aisle wall, or as a decorative feature on external walls, bellow the eaves or parapet
Arch
A self-supporting arrangement of bricks or stone blocks (voussoirs) carrying the weight of a wall over an opening. The width of the arch between it’s supports is the ‘span’, it’s height from base or ‘springing line’ to top (‘crown’) is called the ‘rise’
Arcuated
A term describing a building in which arches are used to support the structure, as opposed to a ‘trabeated’ building, where columns and beams are used. All English Gothic cathedrals are arcuated
Ashlar
Hewn or squared stone
Ball flower
Form of 14th century decoration – globular flower with three incurved petals
Baluster
A small pillar usually made circular, and swelling in the middle or towards the bottom
Barrel-Vault
A continuous semi-circular arch or tunnel, used in English Norman architecture
Base
The lower part of a column or pillar
Bay
A principal compartment or division in an arcade
Bellcote
Timber or stone framework on roof from which to suspend bells
Belfry
A bell tower or campanile
Blind storey
An alternative name for the triforium
Boss
In medieval architecture, a keystone usually carved ornamentally and sometimes also painted and gilded, at the intersection of ribs in a vaulted roof
Box pew
Pew with a high wooden enclosure
Broach
Half pyramid covering base of spire
Buttress
A vertical mass of masonry or brickwork projecting from a wall to resist the outward thrust of a roof-truss or vault or merely to stiffen the wall; projection from wall to provide additional strength and support
Cambered
Slightly arched
Campanile
A term usually applied only to a bell tower which is detached from a church. These are very rare in England. One was demolished at Salisbury Cathedral in 1789; but one example still survives, at Chichester Cathedral, erected c.1410-40; bell tower, usually detached
Capital
The moulded or carved block on the top of a column. It is often richly ornamented but it actually served a utilitarian purpose – to distribute weight from above on to the shaft of the column
Cardinal
North, south, east and west
Chamfer
Angle pared off
Chancel
The part of a cathedral or church east of the crossing
Chantry chapel
A chapel endowed by the founder for the chanting of Masses for his soul or by a guild for its members
Chapter house
An assembly place for the governing members of an ecclesiastic foundation; the place of assembly for the dean and canons in a cathedral
Chevet
A semi-circular apse with radiating chapels
Chevron or zigzag
A Norman ornamental moulding in the form of a zigzag
Clerestory
In an aisled building such as a cathedral or church, the part of the main wall, below the eaves and above the top of the aisled roof, which is pierced with windows giving light to the main interior
Collegiate church
Church endowed for a college of priests
Coping
A protective covering of bricks or stone on the top of a wall, usually projecting slightly in order to throw rainwater away from the face of the wall below
Corbel
A stone block, build into and projecting from a wall to carry the end of a roof-truss or a beam; often carved with grotesque human or animal figures
Corbel table
A row of stone corbels or brackets carrying a parapet; often carved into grotesque heads
Cornice
A continuous horizontal member, usually moulded, crowning an external wall, or around the top of a room internally
Coving
Arched undersurface
Crossing
In any cathedral or large cruciform church, the square space formed by the intersection of nave and transepts
Crypt
A underground chamber or cellar, usually vaulted; found in most English cathedrals, partly or entirely bellow ground
Cupola
Small rounded dome raised on supports
Cushion capital
In Romanesque architecture, a plan cubic capital with its lower corners cut off and rounded, so that it resembles a cushion
Cusp
Projecting point in tracery or arch
Dado
Decoration on lower part of wall
Dog-tooth moulding
A ornamental moulding in stone, much used in English cathedrals during the 13th century. It consists of a row of pyramidal projections, each carved into four leaves
Dormer
Projecting upright window in sloping roof or spire
Dome
A convex roof, usually hemispherical, over a square, circular, or octagonal space
Dressed stone
Stone cut to serve as frame for walls or windows
Easter sepulchre
Structure for holding the Sacrament just before Easter
Fenestration
Window arrangement
Fillet
Narrow, flat band running along shaft or moulding
Flying buttress
A stone buttress crossing of a an arch serving as a prop, it’s upper end resting against the high main wall of a church, it’s lower end against a pier, in order to take any transmitted thrust. To increase the stability of the buttress, a pinnacle is usually built on the top of the pier
Font canopy
Wooden structure completely enveloping font
Gable
The triangular place of wall at the end of a ridged roof
Galilee
A porch or chapel at the west end of a cathedral
Gargoyle
Projecting spout in human or animal shape for throwing water clear of roof
Hood mould
Projecting moulding above arch or window to throw off water
Impost
Capital on top of pilaster or pier from which arch springs
Jamb
Side of a doorway or window
Jesse Window
Window in which glass or stonework forms Tree of Jesse, representing genealogy of Christ
Keystone
The wedge shaped central stone of an arch, on which the efficiency of the arch depends
Label stop
Ornamental head or other shape at end of hood mould
Lady Chapel
Chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary
Lancet
Slender pointed window
Lantern
A turret or other small structure erected on the top of a tower, a roof, or a dome, to give light to the interior of a building
Lay reactor
Layman who receives the rectorial tithes of a parish, or in whom the rectory is vested
Light
Vertical division of window
Misericord
In the choir stalls of a medieval church, a bracket (often grotesquely or humourously carved) beneath a hinged seat which, when the seat was tipped up, gave some support to a person standing during a lengthy service
Moulding
Outline given to arches, bases and capitals
Mullion
A stone or wood vertical bar dividing a window opening into ‘lights’
Nave
The main body of a church, with or without flanking aisles ; but excluding the chancel and transepts (if any)
Nail head
Late Norman decoration in form of a square raised to a centre
Niche
Recess in wall for statue
Ogee arch
A pointed arch of double curvature – convex above concrete
Order
Receding arch of a doorway or window
Parapet
A low wall built around a roof or platform to prevent people from falling over the edge
Pier
In architecture, a solid vertical mass of stone, brick or concrete, supporting a vertical load; free standing solid support between arches
Pilaster
A flat and often ornamental column, partially built into the wall of a structure, and projecting from in very slightly; shallow pier attached to and projecting from wall
Pillar
Free standing support of arch, generally ornamental as well as structural
Piscina
Shallow basin with drain near altar
Plate tracery
A primitive form of Gothic tracery, in which geometrical openings, such as circles, were pierced through a solid slab or plate of stone
Plinth
Projecting base of column or pillar
Presbytery
The area near the high altar
Poppy head
Fleur-de-lis elevated termination of bench end
Porticus
Side chamber
Pulpit
Raised stage from which sermons are delivered
Pulpitum
A screen dividing the choir from nave
Quoin
Dressed stone at angle
Rector
Incumbent of a parish, the great tithes of which he used to retain
Reredos
An ornamental screen above and behind the altar
Retro choir
In some cathedrals and large churches, the portion of the chancel behind the high altar, at the extreme east end
Roll moulding
Moulding of generally semicircular section
Rood
A cross or crucifix
Rood loft
Means of access for cleaning, lighting and decking rood and sometimes acting as base for it. It also provided accomodation for choir and instrumentalists
Rood screen
Screen, stone or wooden, below the rood separating chancel from nave
Rose window (wheel)
A circular window containing tracery and often resembling a rose; circular window with tracery radiating from centre
Rotunda
A term occasionally applied to a dome or to a circular domed building
Saddleback
Tower roof shaped like a timber gable
Sanctuary
Either the holiest part of a church, i.e. in the chancel, or any portion of a church in which a medieval fugitive from justice could claim sanctuary and escape arrest, under an ancient church law
Sanctuary knocker
Ornamental knocker on the door of a church which a fugitive could touch when claiming sanctuary
Sedilia
A range of stone seats, generally three in number, on the south side of chancel, for the use of the clergy
Sgraffito
Design incised in plaster
Shaft
The main part of a column, from its base to its capital
Span
Of arch or beam, the distance between it’s points of support
Spandrel
The approximately triangular space between the outer curve of arch and an enclosing frame of mouldings, etc. Often richly carved with foliage
Spire light
Projecting opening in spire for ventilation
Stained glass
Glass ‘stained’ or coloured by the addition of a metallic oxide during its burning, but usually painted afterwards with delicate foliage and other detail
Stair turret
Stone stairway giving access to tower stages
Stall
Fixed seat, usually with carving, in choir or chancel
Stellar vaulting
Vaulting of a type in which the converging ribs from a star like pattern
String course
Projecting horizontal band or moulding on surface of wall
Three decker pulpit
Pulpit with clerk’s stall and reading desk below
Tierceron
In vaulting, a mirror rib springing from a main rib and leading to ridge-rib
Tracery
In Gothic architecture, slender moulded stone bars, intersecting to form patterns at the tops of windows
Bar/geometrical
Form evolved at end of Early English period in which the head of window is filled with Geometrical forms, at first simple and constructed of bars of stone but later developed into more varied shapes