fenestration

American  

[fen-uh-strey-shuhn] / ˌfɛn əˈstreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the design and disposition of windows and other exterior openings of a building.

2. Furniture. an ornamental motif having the form of a blind arcade or arch, as in medieval cabinetwork.

3. Medicine/Medical, Surgery.

   1. a perforation in a structure.

   2. an operation to effect such an opening.

   3. Also called Lempert operation.  Also called fenestration operation,.  the creation of an artificial opening into the labyrinth of the ear to restore hearing loss from otosclerosis.

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fenestration British  

/ ˌfɛnɪˈstreɪʃən /

noun

1. the arrangement and design of windows in a building

2. a surgical operation to restore hearing by making an artificial opening into the labyrinth of the ear

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Etymology

Origin of fenestration

1840–50; < Latin fenestrāt ( us ) ( see fenestrated) + -ion

Example Sentences

An unusually prompt reply came from Frank Lloyd Wright’s secretary, Eugene Masselink, emollient over the siting and fenestration but anxious about the financing of the project:

From Slate • Oct. 19, 2021

The fenestration on the leaves is beautiful; I just love that plant.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2021

But below, in the official rooms of the residence, two fresh, cut trees are already in full regalia, the larger a towering 15-foot fir softening the gridded fenestration of Oswald Ungers’s magnificent contemporary architecture.

From Washington Post • Dec. 15, 2015

The twin towers and intricate fenestration incorporate a mix of styles: art deco features mingle with art nouveau and Jugendstil styles in a striking, if overwrought entrance.

From The Guardian • Aug. 28, 2012

The use of brick, gable-end roof lines, proportioning of the scale of various segments of the building, compatible fenestration and colonial period styles in hardware and painting all contributed to this result.

From The Fairfax County Courthouse by Netherton, Ross De Witt