antefix

American  

[an-tuh-fiks] / ˈæn təˌfɪks /

noun

Architecture.

plural

antefixes, antefixa

1. 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.

2. an ornament above the top molding of a cornice.

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antefix British  

/ ˈæntɪˌfɪks, ˌæntɪˈfɪksəl /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• antefixal adjective

Etymology

Origin of antefix

First recorded in 1825–35; from Latin antefīxa, neuter plural of antefīxus “fastened in front,” equivalent to ante- “before” + fīxus, past participle of fīgere “to fix”; ante-, fix

Example Sentences

The antefix has the breadth of a hole and one eighth, and the thickness of one hole.

From The Ten Books on Architecture by Vitruvius Pollio

Its gable wall is topped by an antefix cross with bifid branches.

From Romanesque Art in Southern Manche: Album by Lebert, Marie