Vocabulary Words

Lesson 3Architecture

Access

• Noun• A passage; a means of approach

• The new access included a ramp to make the building more convenient for disabled people

Appraise

• Verb• To evaluate; to estimate the quality of

• The bank called in an expert estimator to appraise the value of the Millers’ home.

Buttress

• Noun• A prop; a structure built against a wall for

support

• The buttress is an important structure built against a wall for support.

Cornice

• Noun• A horizontal decorative molding between the

walls and ceiling of a room or the horizontal molding along a roof

• When the room was remodeled, the carpenter added an ornate cornice to complement the Victorian décor.

Dilapidated

• Adjective• Run-down; in a state of disrepair

• The garage was so dilapidated that we decided to knock it down and build a new one.

Domicile

• Noun• A home; legal residence

• For tax purposes, he listed an address in Bern, Switzerland, as his domicile.

Eaves

• Noun• The projected overhang at the edge of a roof

• In winter, water drips from the house’s eaves and forms ice on the sidewalk.

Facade

• Noun• The front of a building

• The façade of the old building is identical to it’s neighbor, but the two interiors are completely different.

Facilities

• Noun• Constructions built for a specific need

• Bids were accepted for the construction of health-care facilities in the neighboring towns

Flue

• Noun• A pipe through which steam or smoke may

pass, as in a boiler or chimney

• My father forgot to open the flue of our chimney before lighting the fire.

Mausoleum

• Noun• A large, stately tomb

• India’s Taj Mahal is a mausoleum, built by a grieving emperor to honor his late wife.

Partition

• Noun• A structure that separates or divides

• Remodelers turned the old home into offices by adding a partition in each large room.

Posterior

• Adjective• Located behind or toward the rear of a

structure

• The posterior wall of the greenhouse was angled to receive the noon-day sun.

Scaffold

• Noun• A temporary raised platform used during the

construction, repair, or cleaning of a building

• Painters erected a scaffold to use while painting the three-story building.

Stilt

• Noun• A tall post used to elevate and support

something

• The land is so swampy that a stilt must be placed under each corner of every house and outbuilding.

Stucco

• Noun• A finish for walls, usually made of cement,

sand, and lime and applied wet

• Spanish-style houses are often covered with stucco.

Tier

• Noun• One of a series of rows placed one above the

other

• Although we bought our basketball tickets at the same time, our friends’ seats were one tier behind ours.

Trestle

• Noun• A supporting framework of wood or steel

• When the train crossed the railroad trestle, the passengers looked down apprehensively at the raging river.

Trowel

• Noun• A flat-bladed hand tool used for leveling,

spreading, or shaping cement or mortar

• We admired the bricklayer’s skillful handling of the trowel.

Veneer

• Noun• A thin surface layer of wood, brick, or stone

giving the appearance of solidity

• Tom saved money by using an oak veneer for the desk top instead of solid wood.