Descriptionary

stretcher a brick or stone laid lengthwise; opposite of a header.

stringer in a stairway, the cut, inclined board on which the steps rest.

stucco textured plaster or cement used on walls for a decorative effect.

swag a relief ornament resembling garlands and gathered drapery.

terra-cotta hard, fired clay, unglazed, glazed, or painted, used for ornamental designs and roof and floor tiles.

tessellated having small squares of stone, marble, or glass set in a mosaic pattern, in a floor or wall.

tetrastyle having four columns or rows of four columns.

tholos in Greek architecture, a round building.

trabeated constructed with horizontal beams and lintels instead of arches and vaults.

tracery ornamental stonework supporting glass in a gothically styled window.

travertine a creamy, banded limestone, used for fac­ing a floor.

turret a miniature tower, corbeled out from a corner of a wall, as in a castle.

vault a masonry roof or ceiling over an arched area.

vaulting vaulted ceilings, roofs, hallways, or other structures.

volute a spiral scroll, as found on Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite capitals.

wagon vault a semicylindrical vault, or barrel vault.

wainscot decorative paneling or facing placed on a wall near the floor.

widow's walk a platformed walkway on the roofs of early New England houses.

BRIDGES

abutment the support at either end of a bridge.

aqueduct bridge structure designed to convey water over a river or hollow and over long distances to sup­ply communities.

arcade collective term for the series of arches and columns that support some types of bridges.

arch structural member supporting and displacing stress under a span.

balustrade a row of balusters topped by a rail serv­ing as a barrier along the edges of a bridge.

bascule type of drawbridge with span arms that pivot and swing upward to let boat traffic pass.

bridle-chord bridge type of bridge in which the girders are supported by steel cables passing over the tops of towers on the main piers.

caisson a watertight chamber filled with com­pressed air for use in underwater construction by bridge builders.

cantilever type of bridge in which two beams or trusses project from shore toward each other and are connected.

cofferdam enclosure built in the water and continu­ously pumped dry to allow construction or repair of bridge piers.

gantry bridge structure supporting the rails of a moving construction crane.

gephyrophobia fear of bridges.

parapet any low wall or barrier that protects—as a railing—the edges of a bridge.

pier support at either end of a span.

pile long timber driven in the earth, used to sup­port piers or abutments, or as a direct support for the bridge itself.

pontoon a flat-bottomed boat, or any float, used in the construction of bridges.

saddles blocks over which the cables of a suspen­sion bridge pass.

suspension bridge similar to a bridle-chord bridge but using more cables to support and relieve stress on the girders.

swing bridge bridge with a span that opens by swinging around horizontally to let boat traffic pass.

trestle open-braced framework for supporting a railroad bridge.

truss assembly of beams, bars, or rods forming a rigid framework.

vertical lift bridge bridge with a span section that is lifted at both ends from towers to allow boat traffic to pass.

viaduct an arched masonry bridge that carries a roadway over a valley or ravine.

CASTLES AND MEDIEVAL BUILDINGS

(includes castle weaponry, castle staffing, and related subjects)

alcazar a Spanish fortress or castle.

alure a gallery or passage along the parapets of a castle.

arbalest a medieval crossbow used to shoot arrows. Also, a large bow mounted on a stand to launch darts, lances, or metal bolts.

archeria apertures through which archers could shoot arrows. Also known as arrow loops, loopholes, balistraria, and arrow slits.

assommoir a gallery built over a doorway from which heavy objects could be dropped down on the heads of intruding enemies.

bailey an open ground or courtyard encircled by walls. Also known as a ward.

balistraria a room in which crossbows were kept. Also, small holes in walls to allow the shooting of arrows.

barbican a walled outwork or tower protecting a drawbridge or a gateway.

bartizan a projecting or overhanging turret.

bastille a castle or castle tower used as a prison.

bastion a mass of earth faced with stones or sods projecting out from a rampart.

battlement an indented or notched parapet for observing or shooting.