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[ aps ]

See synonyms for apse on Thesaurus.com

noun

Architecture. a semicircular or polygonal termination or recess in a building, usually vaulted and used especially at the end of a choir in a church.
Astronomy. an apsis.

Origin of apse

First recorded in 1815–25; variant of apsis

Other words from apse

ap·si·dal [ap-si-dl], /ˈæp sɪ dl/, adjective
ap·si·dal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby apse

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use apse in a sentence

The nave and porch were floored with plain red tesserae: in the apse was a simple mosaic panel in red, black and white.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 | Various
The archway of the south transept apse is now the entrance to St. Catherine's Chapel.
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Carlisle | C. King Eley
He walked across to the grave-yard under a blackened wall—a bit of the apse of the vanished church—and sat down on a grave-stone.
Coming Home | Edith Wharton
The Ducal Palace begins to show mouldings on both sides, 28, 31; and 35 is a complete arch moulding from the apse of the Frari.
The Stones of Venice, Volume III (of 3) | John Ruskin
The apse was developed from the somewhat similar part of the Roman basilic, in which the magistrate (prtor) sat.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for apse

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/ (æps) /

noun

Also called: apsis a domed or vaulted semicircular or polygonal recess, esp at the east end of a church
astronomy another name for apsis (def. 1)

Origin of apse

C19: from Latin apsis, from Greek: a fitting together, arch, from haptein to fasten

Derived forms of apse

apsidal (æpˈsaɪdəl, ˈæpsɪdəl), adjective

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

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