naos

American  

[ney-os] / ˈneɪ ɒs /

noun

plural

naoi

1. a temple.

2. Architecture. cella.

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naos British  

/ ˈneɪɒs /

noun

1. rare an ancient classical temple

2. architect another name for cella

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Etymology

Origin of naos

First recorded in 1765–75, naos is from the Greek word nāós dwelling of a god, inner part of a temple, shrine

Example Sentences

Team historians were particularly intrigued by black granite pieces from a Menouthis naos, or shrine, on which hieroglyphics revealed the roots of classical astrology.

From Time Magazine Archive

Then with the same chant the elder priests brought out of the sanctuary the statue of the goddess, no longer covered with the naos.

From Sulamith: A Romance of Antiquity by Kuprin, A. I. (Aleksandr Ivanovich)

Hence the cella or naos is the central feature of the building.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 4 "Grasshopper" to "Greek Language" by Various

The other vessels consisted of two naos, or ships of a hundred tons, and four caravels.

From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 08 The Later Renaissance: from Gutenberg to the Reformation by Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis)

It formed part of the ornamentation of a temple or naos door; and the other side was either built into a wall or imbedded in a piece of wood.

From Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to the Study of Antiquities in Egypt by Maspero, G. (Gaston)