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  1. narthex love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A portico or lobby of an early Christian or Byzantine church or basilica, originally separated from the nave by a railing or screen.
  2. n. An entrance hall leading to the nave of a church.

Wiktionary

  1. n. architecture A western vestibule leading to the nave in some (especially Orthodox) Christian churches.

Etymologies

  1. From Ancient Greek νάρθηξ (narthēks, "giant fennel"), later ‘casket’ (modern Greek νάρθηκας). (Wiktionary)
  2. Late Greek narthēx, from Greek, box, giant fennel, perhaps of Indic origin. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

  • “A narthex is not a gathering space or overflow social hall; it is a place of transition from world outside to the heavenly reality within.”

    Two Unfortunate and Unnecessary Cathedral Extensions in Australia

  • “While it is being called a narthex, that is precisely the one thing which the structure is not.”

    Two Unfortunate and Unnecessary Cathedral Extensions in Australia

  • “The extension to the cathedral is being described as a narthex; it is, however, a large, three-story octagonal structure vaguely reminiscent of a baptistery and will include a basement crypt for the burial of archbishops and a top-story performance space seating 100 people; in between will be a gathering space for worshippers before and after mass.”

    Two Unfortunate and Unnecessary Cathedral Extensions in Australia

  • “Beyond the narthex was the nave, answering to the court of the Jews, and appropriated to the body of worshippers.”

    A Key to the Knowledge of Church History (Ancient)

  • “The covered portion next the church was called the narthex and was the place for penitents.”

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 2: Assizes-Browne

  • “Properly speaking, the name should have ceased with the function and the so-called narthex of medieval churches and abbeys should justly be called a porch.”

    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 10: Mass Music-Newman

  • “Outside the narthex was the atrium, an open court, having in the centre the remains of the labrum, or laver, where the people washed their hands and faces before entering the church.”

    English Villages

  • “On occasion, Mr. Atkinson reaches too far for a word -- "narthex," "contumacious" and "nugacities," to name a few.”

    The Wall Street Journal: A Terrible Slog

  • “( "flags flap-flapped," "bellbuoys chiming-chime," and its variant "buoy-bells ting-tinging") is rather lazy, and her repeated use of the obscure, if deliciously archaic-sounding architectural term "narthex" (a word-lover's word for the entrance of a church) is distracting and somewhat troubling.”

    THE GREAT AMERICAN PINUP

  • “Always looking for new strategies to address the lack of community cohesiveness, parish leadership has introduced the use of nametags at worship, created picture directories each year, and set up a Welcome Table in the narthex staffed by a volunteer wearing a fluorescent pink “Ask Me!” button.”

    Simon & Schuster: American Grace

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hypernyms (8)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. portico
  1. vestibule
  1. hall
  1. lobby
  1. antechamber
  1. foyer
  1. entrance hall
  1. anteroom

same context (8)

Words that are found in similar contexts

  1. re-working
  1. recent
  1. whispery
  1. k-th
  1. 2-digit
  1. farmyard
  1. keyless
  1. escalator

reverse dictionary (14)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. antechurch
  2. antenave
  1. exonarthex
  2. asafetida
  1. pronaos
  2. ferulic
  1. food-of-the-gods
  2. antetemple
  1. esonarthex
  2. nave
  1. narthecal
  2. basilica
  1. antechapel
  2. vestibule

tags (3)

Free-form, user-generated categorization

  1. church
  1. medieval
  1. castle

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Wordmap

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Word visualization

Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘narthex’.

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Comments

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  • yaybob sionnach said: "It's the attack of the killer anthropomorphic spice-aliens!!"

    Therefore, you will...GARFLE THE NARTHAX! Dec 13, 2008

  • sionnach
    Waiter! My friend Basil's spice-funnel is all clogged up with saffron and fennel.

    Aaaaieee! Flee, flee! It's the attack of the killer anthropomorphic spice-aliens!!

    "The Fawlty Coriander" by F. Herbert and J. Cleese.

    Dec 7, 2008

  • fbharjo giant fennel Dec 7, 2008

  • chained_bear "...across this front stretched what for want of the proper term Stephen thought of as a portico, a narthex, and in this narthex a monk in a worn old saffron robe was sitting by a brazier."
    —Patrick O'Brian, The Thirteen Gun Salute, 222 Mar 5, 2008

  • skipvia Sounds like a cattle disease, but it's part of a church. Oct 1, 2007

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‘narthex’ has been looked up 2464 times, loved by 2 people, added to 39 lists, commented on 5 times, and has a Scrabble score of 17.