demilune

alternative demi-lune · alternative demi lune

1. not comparablearchitectureIn the shape of a half-moon, i.e. semicircular.

   1 more example

   A handsome pair of tall, walnut-veneered Biedermeier bookcases from Austria, circa 1835, can be had from Iliad Antik of New York for $95,000, while Clinton Howell of New York has a rare pair of marquetry inlaid demilune consoles that he attributes to the workshop of John Linnell of England, circa 1755.

   2007 February 9, Wendy Moonan, “Relics of the 19th Century, in a Sentimental Mood”, in New York Times

plural demilunes · alternative demi-lune · alternative demi lune

1. architectureA fortification constructed beyond the main ditch of a fortress, and in front of the curtain between two bastions, intended to defend the curtain; a ravelin.
2. biologyA crescentic mass of granular protoplasm present in the salivary glands.