narthex

[nahr-theks]

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noun Architecture.

an enclosed passage between the main entrance and the nave of a church.

Origin of narthex

1665–75; < Late Greek nárthēx, Greek: giant fennel

Related formsnar·the·cal

[nahr-thee-kuh l] /nɑrˈθi kəl/, adjective

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

Related Words for narthex

hallway, foyer, porch, doorway, entrance, portico, entryway, lobby, portal, entry, gateway, hall, narthex, anteroom, antechamber

Examples from the Web for narthex

Historical Examples of narthex

The narthex is divided into three bays, separated by heavy arches.
Byzantine Churches in Constantinople
Alexander Van Millingen
The southern cella, with its narthex, has been entirely destroyed.
The Cradle of Mankind
W.A. Wigram
It is a basilica with two aisles and apse, narthex and atrium.
Constantinople
William Holden Hutton
The door of the narthex is inserted between the two columns.
Constantinople
William Holden Hutton
It is a triple church, separated by columns and all entered from the narthex.
Constantinople
William Holden Hutton

British Dictionary definitions for narthex

narthex

noun

a portico at the west end of a basilica or church, esp one that is at right angles to the nave

a rectangular entrance hall between the porch and nave of a church

Word Origin for narthex

C17: via Latin from Medieval Greek: enclosed porch, enclosure (earlier: box), from Greek narthēx giant fennel, the stems of which were used to make boxes

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 narthex

"porch at the west end of early churches" (used by penitents not admitted to the body of the church), 1670s, from Late Greek narthex, in classical Greek "giant fennel," of unknown origin. The architectural feature allegedly so called from fancied resemblance of porch to a hollow stem. The word also was used in Greek to mean "a small case for unguents, etc." According to Hesiod ("Theogeny"), Prometheus conveyed fire from Heaven to Earth in hollow fennel stalks. Related: Narthecal.