Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A rounded convex molding, often a quarter section of a circle or ellipse.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In Roman and later architecture, a convex molding forming in section a quarter of a circle. Also called quarter-round.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Arch.) A round, convex molding. See Illust. of column.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun architecture A classical convex moulding carved with an egg-and-dart ornament.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a convex molding having a cross section in the form of a quarter of a circle or of an ellipse

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Obsolete Italian, diminutive of uovo, ovo, egg, from Latin ōvum; see awi- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Italian, from Latin ovum ("egg").

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Examples

  • Resting on the platform, formed by these three steps, is a quarter circle pedestal, [17] on which stands a large stone 6ft. 8in. long and 9in. thick, over-hanging its base, and presenting a concave line towards the bath with an _ovolo_ section in its thickness.

    The Excavations of Roman Baths at Bath Charles E. Davis

  • The lip and base have the favorite ovolo moulding; the body has two rows of fluting separated by a transverse band, charged with leaves, and with a swan in the centre.

    Museum of Antiquity A Description of Ancient Life

  • _ They are of similar size and general appearance to the ordinary ovolo moulding plane.

    Woodwork Joints How they are Set Out, How Made and Where Used. William Fairham

  • THE RULE JOINT HINGE is used to connect the top and the drop leaf of a table in cases where continuity of design is desired, so that the edge of the top and the leaf will show an ovolo moulding when the table is either open or closed.

    Woodwork Joints How they are Set Out, How Made and Where Used. William Fairham

  • This stone spans a large channel 2ft. 3in. wide, within which is fitted a very thick lead pipe, gradually narrowed _horizontally_ and turned up under the _ovolo_ concave stone.

    The Excavations of Roman Baths at Bath Charles E. Davis

  • Finally, attention may be called to the ASTRAGAL or PEARL-BEADING just under the ovolo in Figs. 61, 71.

    A History of Greek Art Frank Bigelow Tarbell 1886

  • Its distinguishing features are the insertion between ovolo and spiral roll of a torus ornamented with a braided pattern, called a GUILLOCHE; the absence of the palmettes from the corners formed by the spiral roll; and the fact that the channel of the roll is double instead of single, which gives a more elaborate character to that member.

    A History of Greek Art Frank Bigelow Tarbell 1886

  • The ovolo has a convex profile, and is sometimes called a quarter-round; it is enriched with an EGG-AND-DART ornament The spiral roll may be conceived as a long cushion, whose ends are rolled under to form the VOLUTES.

    A History of Greek Art Frank Bigelow Tarbell 1886

  • In the form shown in Fig. 73 we find, first, a row of sixteen simple leaves, like those of a reed, with the points of a second row showing between them; then a single row of eight acanthus leaves; then the scroll-work, supporting a palmette on each side; and finally an abacus whose profile is made up of a trochilus and an ovolo.

    A History of Greek Art Frank Bigelow Tarbell 1886

  • [Footnote: The egg-and-dart is found only on the ovolo, the leaf-and-dart only on the cyma reversa or the cyma recta (concave above and convex below) Both ornaments are in origin leaf-patterns one row of leaves showing their points behind another row.]

    A History of Greek Art Frank Bigelow Tarbell 1886

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