entasis

[ en-tuh-sis ]

/ ˈɛn tə sɪs /

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noun Architecture.

a slight convexity given to a column or tower, as to correct an optical illusion.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of entasis

1745–55; <Greek, equivalent to enta- (variant stem of enteínein to stretch tight, equivalent to en-en-² + teínein to stretch) + -sis-sis

Words nearby entasis

entameba, entamoeba, entangle, entanglement, entangling alliances with none, entasis, Entebbe, entelechy, entellus, entente, entente cordiale

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

How to use entasis in a sentence

The entasis is almost invariably introduced in the spires of English churches.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 6|Various
The entasis of columns and curvature of what would ordinarily be straight lines is familiar to all students of architecture.
The Brochure Series of Architectural Illustration, Volume 01, No. 08, August 1895|Various
This is called the entasis of the spire, and belongs to the study of optics in architecture.
Our Homeland Churches and How to Study Them|Sidney Heath
The shaft was covered with channelled flutings, and rose vertically with a convex extension of its circumference (called entasis).
A Manual of the Historical Development of Art|G. G. (Gustavus George) Zerffi

The shaft is well shaped, with a moderate swelling (entasis).
Pompeii, Its Life and Art|August Mau

British Dictionary definitions for entasis

entasis

/ (ˈɛntəsɪs) /

noun plural -ses (-siːz)

a slightly convex curve given to the shaft of a column, pier, or similar structure, to correct the illusion of concavity produced by a straight shaft

Also called: entasia (ɛnˈteɪzɪə) physiol an involuntary or spasmodic muscular contraction

Word Origin for entasis

C18: from Greek, from enteinein to stretch tight, from teinein to stretch

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