Meanings
plural cymatiums · plural cymatia
- architectureA molding on the cornice, above the corona, often having a wavelike form (cyma).
1 more example
The cornice only is carried around the room at the ceiling, and in the staircase hall only the cymatium and corona of the cornice; but over the archway, supported by a colonnade of four fluted round columns, a complete entablature with nicely worked classic detail is employed and given added emphasis by several inches' projection into the reception hall.
1920, Frank Cousins, Phil M. Riley, The Colonial Architecture of Philadelphia, Boston: Little, Brown, and Company
Synonyms & antonyms
noun(architecture) a molding for a cornice; in profile it is shaped like an S (partly concave and partly convex)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekκῡ́μᾰτος“wave, billow, swell, sprout, fetus”
- Latincȳmat(is)“sprout, swelling, hollow sphere”
- Ancient Greekκῡμάτιον
- Latincȳmatium“ogee”
- Englishcymatium
From Latin cȳmatium (“ogee”), from the Ancient Greek κῡμάτιον (kūmátion), the diminutive form of κῦμα (kûma, “wave”). Equivalent to Latin cȳmat(is) (“sprout, swelling, hollow sphere”) + -ium, stem of cȳma, from Ancient Greek κῡ́μᾰτος (kū́mătos, “wave, billow, swell, sprout, fetus”), genitive of κῦμα (kûma).
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan cimaci
- cimacitype of molding that is wavelike in form
French cimaise
- cimaisetype of molding that is wavelike in form
German Kymation, Karnies
- Kymationtype of molding that is wavelike in form
- Karniestype of molding that is wavelike in form
Polish kimation
- kimationtype of molding that is wavelike in form
Portuguese cimalha
- cimalhatype of molding that is wavelike in form
Cite this entry
cymatium. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cymatium
“cymatium.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cymatium. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cymatium,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cymatium.
Source: cymatium on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.