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parvis

American  
[pahr-vis] / ˈpɑr vɪs /

noun

  1. a vacant enclosed area in front of a church.

  2. a colonnade or portico in front of a church.


parvis British  
/ ˈpɑːvɪs /

noun

  1. a court or portico in front of a building, esp a church

"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 parvis

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French; Old French pare ( v ) is < Late Latin paradīsus church courtyard, originally the one before St. Peter's, Rome. See paradise

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.

In Paris, they marred the city’s famous public spaces, cluttering the Esplanade des Invalides, the Place Vendôme, the banks of the Seine, and the parvis in front of Notre Dame.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2023

So, decentralized it is, and multi-disciplinary: a studio and an auditorium for movies, dance and other performances; a restaurant, and a large parvis as in Paris, currently planted with saplings.

From New York Times • May 12, 2010

It will be expressly ordered to burn incense in the parvis of a temple where beasts are slaughtered in the Deity's honour, and for the priests' supper.

From Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary by Voltaire

The next day, towards sunset, mademoiselle and I were once again upon the balcony of the inn, when I saw a horseman trotting past the parvis of St. Martin.

From Orrain A Romance by Levett-Yeats, S.

Test� ovato-acut�, alb�; striis transversis puncticulatis ornat�, anfractu basali crasso, tesseris parvis plurimis spadiceis vittato, tesserisque majoribus bifasciato; labio exteriore denticulato.

From Zoological Illustrations, Volume II or Original Figures and Descriptions of New, Rare, or Interesting Animals by Swainson, William