cyma

American  

[sahy-muh] / ˈsaɪ mə /

noun

cymae, plural cymas plural

1. Architecture. either of two moldings having a partly convex and partly concave curve for an outline: used especially in classical architecture.

2. Botany. a cyme.

---

cyma British  

/ ˈsaɪmə /

noun

1. either of two mouldings having a double curve, part concave and part convex. Cyma recta has the convex part nearer the wall and cyma reversa has the concave part nearer the wall

2. botany a rare variant of cyme

---

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• cymas
  plural
• cymae
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cyma

1555–65; < New Latin < Greek kŷma something swollen, a wave, wavy molding, sprout, equivalent to ký ( ein ) to be pregnant + -ma noun suffix