Apsidiole

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small or subsidiary apsidal projection in architecture commonly forming a chapel or recess at the end of a church aisle ; a minor semicircular or polygonal termination often seen in church building designs ; a small apse-like structure serving as an appendage to a larger central apse in sacred architecture
2. An architectural element consisting of a small apse connected to the main apse or nave, often used as a chapel or niche ; a subsidiary curved or polygonal recess found in ecclesiastical buildings ; a smaller rounded section adjoining the main semicircular or polygonal structure typical in church layouts
3. A minor semicircular or polygonal chapel or recess attached to the end of a church aisle or nave, usually part of religious buildings ; a secondary apse-like extension supplementing the main apse ; a small rounded architectural space often used for devotional purposes within a larger church plan

Etymology: "Apsidiole" is a diminutive built from "apse", the curved, vaulted recess at the end of a church, with the Latin-derived suffix "-iole" (from Latin "-iolum") adding the sense of "little". So an apsidiole is literally a little apse. The word's history therefore lies mostly in the word "apse" itself, which came into English from Latin "apsis", borrowed from Greek "hapsis", meaning "arch" or "vault", ultimately tied to a verb meaning "to fasten or join", a sense that fits the arched shape of the building feature. "Apsidole" is recorded as an alternative form, showing that English speakers and architectural writers shaped the word in more than one way while keeping the same meaning. The forms differ only in spelling and suffix shape, not in sense.

Synonyms: apse