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| Abacus — The uppermost part of the capital of the column; often a plain square slab, but sometimes molded or otherwise enriched.
| | Abutment — The solid part of a pier or wall, etc., against which an arch abuts, or from which it immediately springs, acting as a support to the thrust or lateral pressure. The abutments of a bridge are the walls adjoining to the land which supports the ends of the road-way, or the arches at the extremeties. Also the basement projecting to resist the force of the stram, and on which the piers rest.
| | Acanthus — (Lat. from Gr.), a plant. the leaves of which are initated in the capitals of the Corinthian and Composite order.
|  | Acanthus Leaf — A common plant of the Mediterranean, whose stylized leaves from the characteristic decoration of capitals of Corinthian and Composite Orders.
| | Acroteria — (Gr.), Pedestals for statues and other ornaments placed on the apex and the lower angles of a pediment. They are also sometimes placed upon the gables in Gothic architecture. especially in canopy work.
| | Andiroms — a term of frequent occurrence in old inventories, &c., and one which is still well known in some parts of the country, for the Fire-dogs: they are generally enumerated as a "pair of andirons," but occasionally only one is mentioned. In the hall at Penshurst. Kent, the hearth still remains in the middle of the room, and there stands on it one large fire-dog, consisting of an upright standard at each end, and a bar between. Although used chiefly for the braziers in the middle of the hall, they were also used in the fireplaces in the chambers.
| | Annulet — (lit. a ring), a small flat fillet, encircling a column, &c., used either by itself or in connection with other mouldings: it is used, several times repeated, under the Ovolo of Echinus of the Doric Capital.
| | Antae — (Lat.), a species of polasters used in Greek and Roman architecture to terminate the pteromata or side walls of terminate the pteromata or side walls of temples, when they are prolonged beyond the face of the end ealls, The first order ot temples, according to Nitruvius, is called "in antis," becaused the pronaos or porch in front of the cell is formed by the projection of the pteromata terminated by antae, with columns between them. They may be said to crrespond to the 'respond' in English architecture.
| | Antefixae — Anteflxae, or Antlxes (Lat.) ornamented tiles on the top of the cornice or eaves. at the end of each ridge of tiling, as on the choragic monument of Lysicrates, at Athens; sometimes of marble, but generally of terra cotta, and ornamented with a mask, honeysuckle,or other decoration moulded on them. Also lions' heads carved on the upper mouldings of the cornice, either for ornament,or to serve as spouts to carry off the water, as on the Temple of the Winds at Athens.
| | Antepagmenta — (Lat.), dressings or architrave of a doorway. This term does not included the frame of the door, which is of wood, but only the stone decorations, or stucco, when that material is used.
| | Apophyge — (Gr.), the small cuivature gived to the top and bottom of the shaft of a column wher it expands to meet the dege of the fillet. (See Column.)
| | Araeostyle — that style of the Grecian temple in which the columns are placed at the distance of four (and occasionally five) diameters apart.
| | Architrave — (Fr. and Lat,= chief-beam), the lowest division of the entablature, in Classical architecture, resting immediately on the abacus of the capital: also the ornamental moulding running round the exterior curve of an arch; and hance applied the mouldings round the openings of doors and windows, &c. (For illustration, see Column and order.)
|  | Astragal — A small molding of rounded, convex section.
| | Astragal — (Gr.= a knuckle-bone), a small semicircular moulding or bead, either encircling a column, or in other situations, (See Column.)
| | Attic — a low story above an entablature, or above a cornice, which limits the height of the main part of an elevation: itis chiefly used in the Roman and Italian styles.
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