vault a masonry roof or ceiling over an arched area.
vaulting vaulted ceilings, roofs, hallways, or other structures.
volute a spiral scroll, as found on Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite capitals.
wagon vault a semicylindrical vault, or barrel vault.
wainscot decorative paneling or facing placed on a wall near the floor.
widow's walk a platformed walkway on the roofs of early New England houses.
BRIDGES
abutment the support at either end of a bridge.
aqueduct bridge structure designed to convey water over a river or hollow and over long distances to supply communities.
arcade collective term for the series of arches and columns that support some types of bridges.
arch structural member supporting and displacing stress under a span.
balustrade a row of balusters topped by a rail serving as a barrier along the edges of a bridge.
bascule type of drawbridge with span arms that pivot and swing upward to let boat traffic pass.
bridle-chord bridge type of bridge in which the girders are supported by steel cables passing over the tops of towers on the main piers.
caisson a watertight chamber filled with compressed air for use in underwater construction by bridge builders.
cantilever type of bridge in which two beams or trusses project from shore toward each other and are connected.
cofferdam enclosure built in the water and continuously pumped dry to allow construction or repair of bridge piers.
gantry bridge structure supporting the rails of a moving construction crane.
gephyrophobia fear of bridges.
parapet any low wall or barrier that protects—as a railing—the edges of a bridge.
pier support at either end of a span.
pile long timber driven in the earth, used to support piers or abutments, or as a direct support for the bridge itself.
pontoon a flat-bottomed boat, or any float, used in the construction of bridges.
saddles blocks over which the cables of a suspension bridge pass.
suspension bridge similar to a bridle-chord bridge but using more cables to support and relieve stress on the girders.
swing bridge bridge with a span that opens by swinging around horizontally to let boat traffic pass.
trestle open-braced framework for supporting a railroad bridge.
truss assembly of beams, bars, or rods forming a rigid framework.
vertical lift bridge bridge with a span section that is lifted at both ends from towers to allow boat traffic to pass.
viaduct an arched masonry bridge that carries a roadway over a valley or ravine.
CASTLES AND MEDIEVAL BUILDINGS
(includes castle weaponry, castle staffing, and related subjects)
alcazar a Spanish fortress or castle.
alure a gallery or passage along the parapets of a castle.
arbalest a medieval crossbow used to shoot arrows. Also, a large bow mounted on a stand to launch darts, lances, or metal bolts.
archeria apertures through which archers could shoot arrows. Also known as arrow loops, loopholes, balistraria, and arrow slits.
assommoir a gallery built over a doorway from which heavy objects could be dropped down on the heads of intruding enemies.
bailey an open ground or courtyard encircled by walls. Also known as a ward.
balistraria a room in which crossbows were kept. Also, small holes in walls to allow the shooting of arrows.
barbican a walled outwork or tower protecting a drawbridge or a gateway.
bartizan a projecting or overhanging turret.
bastille a castle or castle tower used as a prison.
bastion a mass of earth faced with stones or sods projecting out from a rampart.
battlement an indented or notched parapet for observing or shooting.
belfry a tall, mobile tower erected at a siege site and pushed up against an outer wall to allow archers or other military men to advance against or shoot at castle defenders. Also known as a bear.
brattice any one of the wooden planks or timbers in a stockade or palisade. Also, any castle tower made of timbers.
butler a castle staff member in charge of drinks and the buttery (bottlery).
buttery a bottlery, or a room used for stocking or preparing drinks.
castellated like a castle in structure.
castellum a fort surrounded by a village or a fortified town.
catapult one of several types of siege engines used to launch such projectiles as rocks and firebombs onto or over castle walls.
cesspit a pit that receives waste from a garderobe.
chamberlain serving under a monarch or lord, an official in charge of the domestic affairs of a castle, especially in supplying the great hall or chamber, where most of the daily living activities took place.
chandlery a storeroom for candles and lighting supplies.
chaplain in medieval times, the religious head who conducted services in a castle chapel but who also kept castle accounts and conducted correspondence because of his ability to read and write.
chateau a French castle.
chatelaine the lady or mistress of a castle.
chatelet a small castle.
citadel any fortress near a city and keeping its inhabitants in subjugation.
corbel a projection of stones from the face of a wall to support a roof or parapet.
crenel any one of the gaps at the top of a battlement wall for shooting and observation.
crossbowmen archers.
curtain wall any one of the inner or outer protective walls ringing a castle.
dais a raised platform in a great hall or chamber where a lord and lady sat.
donjon (dungeon) the main tower or keep, usually the central and strongest location where fighters withdrew when the enemy had penetrated, often containing a well, apartments, offices, service rooms, and supplies. In early castles, the living quarters of a lord; in later castles, the dungeon or prison, especially the lower or underground portion.
drawbridge spanning a moat or ditch, a bridge that could be raised or drawn back to prevent an enemy from entering.
dungeon see donjon.
embrasure an opening in a wall, sloped to enlarge its interior portion, for shooting and observation; the low portion of a battlement.
falcon one of the predatory birds (also hawks) often kept as pets in a castle for sport hunting purposes.
falconer one who trained a predatory bird to sport hunt.
farrier a castle staff member in charge of shoeing or caring for horses.
feudal system a political and economic system in medieval Europe in which a servant, peasant, or tenant was granted land in exchange for service, often involving the guarding or defending of castles.
finial a slender, ornamental stone sometimes fixed on the tops of merlons.
garderobe a latrine or privy, usually located in an outer wall over a ditch, moat, or cesspit.