Catino
/kəˈtiːnoʊ/noun
A shallow basin or bowl, especially the semidome forming the rounded interior of an apse in a basilica.
Did you know?In early Christian architecture, the catino of an apse often carried images of Christ, the Virgin, or saints, turning a curved architectural surface into a symbolic heavenly realm.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
catīnus
“A large bowl, dish, or basin”
Late Latin
Latin
catīnum
“A basin or bowl; the source of the architectural sense”
Medieval Italian
Italian
catino
“A basin, bowl, or rounded vessel”
Medieval Italian
Italian
catino
“The concave, basin-like semidome of an apse”
Modern English
English
catino
“A basin-like apse semidome, especially in ecclesiastical architecture”