Meanings
- architectureA recess or projection, with a dome or vault, at the east end of a church.
Like Henry's collegiate church […] the cathedral is a cruciform basilica of the double bay system with four square bays in the central nave, western transoms, a quadrum for the choir, an apsis, and a transept with auxiliary apses.
2019, A Companion to Medieval Lübeck, page 96
Synonyms & antonyms
nounEither of the points in the elliptical orbit of a planet, comet, or moon where it is closest or furthest from the body it orbits; examples are perihelion, aphelion, perigee, and apogee.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna domed or vaulted recess or projection on a building especially the east end of a church; usually contains the altar
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἁψίς“arch, vault”
- Latinapsis
- Englishapsis
From Latin apsis, hapsis, from Ancient Greek ἁψίς (hapsís, “arch, vault”). See also apse.
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan àpside
- àpsideastronomy: point in elliptical orbit
Finnish kuori, apsis
- kuoriarchitecture: apse
- apsisarchitecture: apse
- absidiarchitecture: apse
- apsidiastronomy: point in elliptical orbit
French abside, apside
- absidearchitecture: apse
- apsideastronomy: point in elliptical orbit
German Apsis, Apsis
- Apsisarchitecture: apse
- Apsisastronomy: point in elliptical orbit
Irish cúlbhá, aipsis
- cúlbháarchitecture: apse
- aipsisastronomy: point in elliptical orbit
Italian apside
- apsideastronomy: point in elliptical orbit
Polish apsyda, absyda
- apsydaarchitecture: apse
- absydaarchitecture: apse
- apsydaastronomy: point in elliptical orbit
- absydaastronomy: point in elliptical orbit
Portuguese apside
- apsideastronomy: point in elliptical orbit
Russian апси́да
- апси́да (apsída)astronomy: point in elliptical orbit
Slovak apsida, apsida
- apsidaarchitecture: apse
- apsidaastronomy: point in elliptical orbit
Spanish ápside
- ápsideastronomy: point in elliptical orbit
Swedish absid
- absidarchitecture: apse
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
apsis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apsis
“apsis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apsis. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “apsis,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apsis.
Source: apsis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.