echinus

American  

[ih-kahy-nuhs] / ɪˈkaɪ nəs /

noun

echini plural

1. any sea urchin of the genus Echinus.

2. Architecture.

   1. an ovolo molding, especially one having an outline with several radii or one carved with an egg-and-dart pattern.

   2. the prominent circular molding supporting the abacus of a Doric or Tuscan capital.

   3. Also called cymatium.  the circular molding, usually carved with an egg-and-dart pattern, forming part of an Ionic capital between the volutes and under the balteus.

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echinus British  

/ ɪˈkaɪnəs /

noun

1. architect an ovolo moulding between the shaft and the abacus of a Doric column

2. any of the sea urchins of the genus Echinus, such as E. esculentus ( edible sea urchin ) of the Mediterranean

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• echini
  plural

Etymology

Origin of echinus

1325–75; Middle English < Latin < Greek echînos hedgehog, sea urchin

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

echinus echini

Above the echinus, which is circular, like the shaft, comes the highest member—the abacus, a square stout slab of marble, which completes the capital of the column.

From Architecture Classic and Early Christian by Smith, T. Roger (Thomas Roger)

The windows of the principal story, the echinus moulding of which is handsome, have bold and enriched pediments, and the centre windows are honoured by massive balustrade balconies.

From Old and New London Volume I by Thornbury, Walter

Fragment of the capital of one of the Doric columns of the pronaos or opisthodomos, including the lower part of the echinus, and the upper part of the flutings.

From A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum, Volume I (of 2) by Smith, A. H.

Yet the echinus can have, at the best, none but the most distant genetic relationship with the Polyzoa.

From On the Genesis of Species by Mivart, St. George

Others have acquired hard or armed shells, as the tortoise and the echinus marinus.

From Zoonomia, Vol. I Or, the Laws of Organic Life by Darwin, Erasmus

Its proper diet consists of the smaller marine animals, such as crabs, echini, and molluscs, alive or dead, fish and carrion.

From British Birds in their Haunts by Johns, Rev. C. A.

“See, the whole beach is covered with beautiful shells, and there may be sea anemones and echini, and star-fish, and all sorts of marine creatures.”

From Dick Cheveley His Adventures and Misadventures by Groome, William H. C.

But, if pearls and bright shells be rarely found there, surely waifs, better than echini and sting-rays, are to be gathered on the “shores of long ago.”

From Sword and Gown A Novel by Lawrence, George A. (George Alfred)

Among the molluscs and zoophytes, I found in the meshes of the net several species of alcyonarians, echini, hammers, spurs, dials, cerites, and hyalleae.

From Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Verne, Jules

I don't think you come behind him of whose exquisite Skill the Satyrist says, Ostrea callebat primo deprendere morsu, Et semel aspecti dicebat littus echini.

From Colloquies of Erasmus, Volume I. by Erasmus, Desiderius