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gynaeceum

1 American  
[jin-uh-see-uhm, gahy-nuh-, jahy-nuh-] / ˌdʒɪn əˈsi əm, ˌgaɪ nə-, ˌdʒaɪ nə- /

noun

plural

gynaecea
  1. (among the ancient Greeks) the part of a dwelling used by women.


gynaeceum 2 American  
[jin-uh-see-uhm, gahy-nuh-, jahy-nuh-] / ˌdʒɪn əˈsi əm, ˌgaɪ nə-, ˌdʒaɪ nə- /

noun

Botany.

plural

gynaecea
  1. gynoecium.


gynaeceum British  
/ ˌdʒaɪnɪˈsiːəm /

noun

  1. (in ancient Greece and Rome) the inner section of a house, used as women's quarters

  2. a variant spelling of gynoecium

"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

Etymology

Origin of gynaeceum

1600–10; < Latin gynaecēum < Greek gynaikeíon, equivalent to gynaik- (stem of gynḗ ) woman + -eion noun suffix of place

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As explained, the gynaeceum above the inner narthex is divided by the open central bay of that narthex into two compartments, each consisting of two bays.

From Byzantine Churches in Constantinople Their History and Architecture by Van Millingen, Alexander

And even if a child escaped this fate, yet for the first seven or eight years of life he was kept in the gynaeceum, or women's apartments, and rarely or never saw his father's face.

From Seekers after God by Farrar, F. W. (Frederic William)

The northern compartment of the gynaeceum connects with the gynaeceum of the north church.

From Byzantine Churches in Constantinople Their History and Architecture by Van Millingen, Alexander

The carpel, or aggregate of carpels forming the pistil or gynaeceum, comprises an ovary containing one or more ovules and a receptive surface or stigma; the stigma is sometimes carried up on a style.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Part 1, Slice 1 by Various

The gynaeceum, like the narthex below it, is covered with cross-groined vaults and contains a small fireplace.

From Byzantine Churches in Constantinople Their History and Architecture by Van Millingen, Alexander