Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A vaulted roof or ceiling.
- noun A small dome set on a circular or polygonal base or resting on pillars.
- noun A domelike structure surmounting a roof or dome, often used as a lookout or to admit light and air.
- noun A cylindrical shaft type of blast furnace used for remelting metals, usually iron, before casting.
- noun A small rounded and domed structure, as for observation, on a tracked, armored vehicle.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In architecture, a vault, either hemispherical or produced by the revolution about its axis of two curves intersecting at the apex, or by a semi-ellipse covering a circular or polygonal area, and supported either upon four arches or upon solid walls.
- noun The round top of any structure, as of a furnace; the structure itself. See
cupola-furnace . Specifically - noun Milit., a revolving shot-proof turret, formed of strong timbers, and armored with massive iron plates.
- noun In anatomy: The summit of the cochlea. The summit of an intestinal gland.
- noun In conchology, the so-called dorsal or visceral hump, made by the heap of viscera.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Arch.) A roof having a rounded form, hemispherical or nearly so; also, a ceiling having the same form. When on a large scale it is usually called
dome . - noun A small structure standing on the top of a dome; a lantern.
- noun A furnace for melting iron or other metals in large quantity, -- used chiefly in foundries and steel works.
- noun A revolving shot-proof turret for heavy ordnance.
- noun (Anat.) The top of the spire of the cochlea of the ear.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun architecture A
dome -shapedornamental structure located on top of a larger roof or dome. - noun military A small
turret , usually on ahatch of anarmoured fighting vehicle .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a vertical cylindrical furnace for melting iron for casting
- noun a roof in the form of a dome
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Italian, from Late Latin cūpula, diminutive of Latin cūpa, tub.]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From Italian cupola, from Latin cupula ("little tub"); from Latin cupa, cuppa ("cup"); named for its resemblance to a cup turned over.
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Examples
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widdershins commented on the word cupola
Can also be architectural: "A cupola is a dome-shaped ornamental structure placed on the top of a larger roof or dome. In some cases, the entire main roof of a tower or spire can be a cupola. More frequently, however, the cupola is a smaller structure which sets on top of the main roof."
December 22, 2007
reesetee commented on the word cupola
Named after Frances Ford Cupola, of course. ;-)
December 29, 2007
thtownse commented on the word cupola
I'm glad this word has been listed a cupola times.
May 6, 2008
pterodactyl commented on the word cupola
*groans in appreciation*
May 6, 2008
thtownse commented on the word cupola
Now take "The Godfather", or "Apocalypse Now" - there's a good cupola movies.
March 9, 2010