How many times have you looked at a building and said “What is that thing called? The one thingy above the dew-dad, next to the whats it.” Well if you’re me the answer is a lot! So after reading Malvaney’s post on architectural dictionaries, I thought it would be fun to have a bi-weekly post that features a different architectural word that relates to a building here in Mississippi. I hope to have the definition along with a photograph of a Mississippi structure as a visual example. This is our inaugural word of the week! Keep your eyes out for future MissPres Architectural Words of the Week!
This week’s word is brought to you by the letter A as defined by Cyril M Harris’s Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture
Abacus: (ˈa-bə-kəs) The uppermost member of the capital of a column; often a plain square slab, but sometimes molded or otherwise enriched.
Keep your eyes open for an Abacus (or plural Abaci) this week and stay tuned for the next MissPres Architectural Word of the Week!