antefix

[ an-tuh-fiks ]

/ ˈæn təˌfɪks /

noun, plural an·te·fix·es, an·te·fix·a [an-tuh-fik-suh] /ˈæn təˌfɪk sə/. Architecture.

an upright ornament at the eaves of a tiled roof, to conceal the foot of a row of convex tiles that cover the joints of the flat tiles.

an ornament above the top molding of a cornice.

Nearby words

antecubital, antedate, antediluvian, antediluvian patriarch, antefebrile, antefix, anteflexion, antegrade, antegrade urography, antehall, antelope

Origin of antefix

1825–35; < Latin antefīxa, neuter plural of antefīxus fastened in front, equivalent to ante- ante- + fīxus past participle of fīgere to fix

Related forms

an·te·fix·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for antefix

The antefix has the breadth of a hole and one eighth, and the thickness of one hole.
Ten Books on Architecture|Vitruvius

British Dictionary definitions for antefix

antefix

/ (ˈæntɪˌfɪks) /

noun plural -fixes or -fixa (-ˌfɪksə)

a carved ornament at the eaves of a roof to hide the joint between the tiles

Derived Forms

antefixal (ˌæntɪˈfɪksəl), adjective

Word Origin for antefix

C19: from Latin antefixa (things) fastened in front, from fīgere to fix

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012