Apophyge

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A curved or rounded transition between a column shaft and its base or capital in architecture
2. An architectural feature consisting of a smooth concave curve connecting the main shaft of a column to its supporting element
3. The curved molding or fillet that eases the angle where a column shaft meets the base or top section

Etymology: In Greek architecture, "apophugē" meant "escape" or "flight," built from "apo-" ("away") and "phugē" ("flight"), the same root behind "fugitive" and "refuge." The architectural sense comes from the idea of a column shaft seeming to flee or curve away from the stone it stands on. Where the shaft swells out and curves into its base or capital, the profile appears to pull back, and that quick retreat of line gave the molding its name. The term is a technical Greek coinage in the vocabulary of classical architecture, and it passed into English as a specialist term for this same curved fillet at the foot or top of a column. Its everyday meaning of escape stayed in Greek while the architectural sense took over in English usage.