Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A bay window projecting from an upper floor, supported from below with corbels or brackets.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A portico, recess, or small room forming a projection from a room or building, as a hall or chapel, in the form of a large bay or recessed window, and often more richly furnished or more private than the rest of the room or building, formerly used as a boudoir, closet, and separate apartment for various purposes.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun obsolete A gallery for minstrels.
- noun obsolete A small apartment next a hall, where certain persons were accustomed to dine; a sort of recess.
- noun (Arch.) A bay window. See
Bay window .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun architecture A large polygonal recess in a building, such as a
bay window . - noun obsolete A
gallery forminstrels . - noun obsolete A small
apartment next to ahall , used fordining .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a projecting bay window corbeled or cantilevered out from a wall
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
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Examples
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The arch and gateway with the oriel are the oldest parts of the front, and on each side of the arch is a sculptured head, one representing Edward III and the other his queen, Philippa of Hainault.
Vanishing England 1892
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The window is an "oriel" in the Perpendicular style, separated vertically by mullions into three lights in front, with one at each end of the projection, and horizontally by transoms into an upper and lower tier, the former having a trefoil heading to each division.
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The modern structural glass oriel window is lined with cherry wood and projects into the garden, juxtaposing with the Victorian bay window that projects into the street.
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Yes, the blueprints might call for flying buttresses and oriel windows, but for now it is only a mess of wheelbarrows, uncut limestone, and piles of sand.
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At the very top, behind round oriel windows, I can just make out the flicker of lamps.
Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor, Vampire Slayer Lucy Weston 2011
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This modern oriel window is part of a renovation to a run-down derelict house in the London Borough of Hackney, and it was designed by Platform 5 Architects.
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At the very top, behind round oriel windows, I can just make out the flicker of lamps.
Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor, Vampire Slayer Lucy Weston 2011
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The house was white, three stories with an oriel window on the top floor at the center, flowers in the window, like a set piece in marzipan.
The Demons Covenant Sarah Rees Brennan 2010
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The house was white, three stories with an oriel window on the top floor at the center, flowers in the window, like a set piece in marzipan.
The Demons Covenant Sarah Rees Brennan 2010
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The curtains were drawn over the east window looking out over the harbour mouth, but the alcove with the oriel north window was uncurtained.
Movie Night 2010
travismcdermott commented on the word oriel
a1400 Prose Life Christ (Pepys) 21 And Jesus was tho a slepe bihinde in the schipp in an oriole. 1440 Promp. Parv. (Harl. 221) 369 Oryel of a wyndowe, cancellus, intendicula.
May 28, 2008