Orillions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Small decorative projections or pilasters on a building's cornice or frieze; ornamental mouldings often placed at intervals on architectural structures; elements enhancing the visual appeal of facades
2. Minor raised features resembling small pillars or brackets along a wall or roofline; architectural embellishments used to break monotony in construction; narrow decorative strips or blocks positioned in a repetitive pattern
3. Small, column-like ornaments integrated into cornices or entablatures; subtle architectural decorations contributing to the rhythm of a building's exterior; tiny structural details providing texture and shadow effects on walls or ceilings

Etymology: "Orillions" is the plural of "orillion," a term from architecture for the small decorative projections placed at intervals on a cornice or frieze. The singular form is the one a builder or architectural historian would use when naming a single ornament, and the plural simply counts several of them across a facade. Because the word is a technical term from building and design, its everyday reach is narrow, and most readers meet it in architectural writing rather than in ordinary speech.