mullion

[ muhl-yuhn ]

/ ˈmʌl yən /

Architecture

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See synonyms for: mullioned on Thesaurus.com

noun

a vertical member, as of stone or wood, between the lights of a window, the panels in wainscoting, or the like.

one of the radiating bars of a rose window or the like.

verb (used with object)

to furnish with, or to form into divisions by the use of, mullions.

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Origin of mullion

First recorded in 1560–70; metathetic variant of monial

OTHER WORDS FROM mullion

un·mul·lioned, adjective

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

How to use mullion in a sentence

The mullions, or radii, are all faced with small pillars and capitals, and lined with the dog-toothed quatrefoil.
The New Guide to Peterborough Cathedral|George S. Phillips
The circle of the central pediment is divided by mullions into eight lights, under trefoil arches radiating from an orb.
The New Guide to Peterborough Cathedral|George S. Phillips
It was built of nice old red stone, or brick, with grey mullions and gables to the roof.
Grandmother Dear|Mrs. Molesworth
The westernmost window is smaller than the rest, and is of three lights, with the mullions carried up through the head.
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Ripon|Cecil Walter Charles Hallett

As is often the case in late work, there are no sub-arches in the tracery, and the mullions are carried up through the head.
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Ripon|Cecil Walter Charles Hallett

British Dictionary definitions for mullion

mullion

/ (ˈmʌlɪən) /

noun

a vertical member between the casements or panes of a window or the panels of a screen

one of the ribs on a rock face

verb

(tr) to furnish (a window, screen, etc) with mullions

Word Origin for mullion

C16: variant of Middle English munial, from Old French moinel, of unknown origin

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