Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One of a series of small rectangular blocks projecting like teeth from a molding or beneath a cornice.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In architecture one of a series of little cubes into which the square member in the bed molding of an Ionic, a Corinthian, a Composite, or occassionally a Roman Doric cornice is cut.
  • noun In heraldry, one of the teeth or indents in anything indented or dancetté: used alike of the projecting teeth and of the notches between them.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Arch.) A small square block or projection in cornices, a number of which are ranged in an ornamental band; -- used particularly in the Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite orders.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun architecture One of a series of small rectangular blocks projecting like teeth from a molding or beneath a cornice.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Obsolete French dentille, from Old French, diminutive of dent, tooth; see dentist.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French dentille, ultimately from Latin dente, ablative singular of dēns.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word dentil.

Examples

  • The space has the original dentil molding along the ceiling.

    Gilded Age Living on the Hudson Corrie Driebusch 2012

  • Look at Washington's Greek Revival public buildings and you'll see the designs that have inspired residential woodwork, such as the dentil trim -- a series of rectangular blocks resembling teeth -- along the cornice of the Supreme Court building.

    The crowning touch: Moldings span a range of styles, materials and prices Maryann Haggerty 2010

  • The chunk of Vermont marble was part of the dentil molding that serves as a frame for nine sculptural figures completed in 1935.

    Metaphorical Bulletin! Stone Falls From Supreme Court Facade 2005

  • There was no wood paneling, no fireplace, no dentil moldings, just a warren of free-standing office-style cubes.

    When The Wind Blows Patterson, James, 1947- 1998

  • There was no wood paneling, no fireplace, no dentil moldings, just a warren of free-standing office-style cubes.

    When the Wind Blows Patterson, James, 1947- 1998

  • Florid carvings in stone covered expansive panels under the complex bands of dentil moldings that ran in mitered bands over the tops of the capitals.

    Stone of Tears Goodkind, Terry 1995

  • There are monstrous three-story Victorian houses with wraparound porches wide enough to roller-skate on, and turrets, and dentil work along the eaves.

    POSTMORTEM Patricia Cornwell 1990

  • There are monstrous three-story Victorian houses with wraparound porches wide enough to roller-skate on, and turrets, and dentil work along the eaves.

    POSTMORTEM Patricia Cornwell 1990

  • There are monstrous three-story Victorian houses with wraparound porches wide enough to roller-skate on, and turrets, and dentil work along the eaves.

    POSTMORTEM Patricia Cornwell 1990

  • There are monstrous three-story Victorian houses with wraparound porches wide enough to roller-skate on, and turrets, and dentil work along the eaves.

    POSTMORTEM Patricia Cornwell 1990

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.