frieze

[ freez ]

/ friz /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR frieze ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Architecture.

the part of a classical entablature between the architrave and the cornice, usually decorated with sculpture in low relief.
any decorative band on an outside wall, broader than a stringcourse and bearing lettering, sculpture, etc.

any decorative band at the top or beneath the cornice of an interior wall, a piece of furniture, etc.

Furniture. skirt(def 6b).

RELATED WORDS

decoration, embellishment

Nearby words

Origin of frieze

1555–65; < Middle French frise, perhaps < Medieval Latin phrygium, frigium, frisium embroidered cloth, embroidery, Latin Phrygium, neuter of Phrygius Phrygian

Can be confusedfreeze frieze

frieze

[ freez ]

/ friz /

noun

a heavy, napped woolen cloth for coats.

Origin of frieze

1350–1400; Middle English frise < Old French; see frieze¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for frieze

So does the Parthenon frieze depict virgin sacrifice, and was it built over the tomb of these maidens of myth?
Virgin Sacrifice and the Meaning of the Parthenon|Nick Romeo|February 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This notion of fashion as a kind of wearable narrative is in evidence at industry gatherings like Frieze and Art Basel.
From Prada Mural Coats to Dover Street, Fashion’s Art Moment|Bethan Holt|February 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It did not get made due to lack of financing but then Frieze went and did it, which is annoying!
Joshua Compston Was Once the Wunderkind of the British Art World…and Now He’s Been Practically Forgotten|Anthony Haden-Guest|January 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Since then, it has been screened at such venues as the British Film Institute, Southbank London (2008), Frieze Art Fair (2010).
Seduced by Art & Beauty ‘At the House of Mr X’|Chloë Ashby|January 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

From a 48 portraits of young men and women to a Jeff Koons lobster, the must-see art at Frieze London, which opens on Thursday.
The 15 Best Things to See at Frieze Art Fair London 2013|Chloë Ashby|October 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Villiers motto, Fidei coticula crux, The cross is the whetstone of faith, is inscribed on the frieze.
Haunted London|Walter Thornbury
In São Vicente the cornice was carried on corbels crossing the frieze, and so was continuous258 and unbroken.
Portuguese Architecture|Walter Crum Watson
His nests adorned the frieze, but they were full of squeaking youngsters and we could not shut the parents out.
Sketches of the East Africa Campaign|Robert Valentine Dolbey
And on the frieze, done in gold-leaf too, was the Grecian lady of the lamps, always dancing.
King--of the Khyber Rifles|Talbot Mundy
A background of humbler persons in homespun tunics with cloth or frieze hoods over their heads.
English Costume|Dion Clayton Calthrop

British Dictionary definitions for frieze

frieze

/ (friːz) /

noun

architect

the horizontal band between the architrave and cornice of a classical entablature, esp one that is decorated with sculpture
the upper part of the wall of a room, below the cornice, esp one that is decorated

any ornamental band or strip on a wall

Word Origin for frieze

C16: from French frise, perhaps from Medieval Latin frisium, changed from Latin Phrygium Phrygian (work), from Phrygia Phrygia, famous for embroidery in gold

noun

a heavy woollen fabric with a long nap, used for coats, etc

Word Origin for frieze

C15: from Old French frise, from Middle Dutch friese, vriese, perhaps from Vriese Frisian

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

Word Origin and History for frieze

frieze

"sculptured horizontal band in architecture," 1560s, from Middle French frise, originally "a ruff," from Medieval Latin frisium "embroidered border," variant of frigium, probably from Latin Phrygium "Phrygian, Phrygian work," from Phrygia, the ancient country in Asia Minor known for its embroidery (cf. Phrygiae vestes "ornate garments"). Meaning "decorative band along the top of a wall" was in Old French.

Culture definitions for frieze

frieze

[ (freez) ]

An ornamental band that runs around a building. Friezes are usually on the exterior of a building and are often sculpted in bas-relief.