Cornice
/ˈkɔːr.nɪs/noun
A projecting ornamental molding along the top of a wall or building.
Did you know?Cornice comes through Italian from Latin *cornīx* / *cornicem*, a word tied to a curved horn-like shape, so the architectural term began as a name for something that juts and curves like a horn.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱer-
“to bend, turn; horn, head, or projecting point”
Latin
Latin
cornu
“horn; a horn-shaped object or projection”
Late Latin
Latin
cornīce / cornīcem
“a projecting edge or molding”
Old Italian
Italian
cornice
“ledge, frame, or ornamental molding”
16th Century
English
cornice
“an ornamental projecting molding at the top of a wall or building”
Modern English
English
cornice
“the uppermost projecting part of a wall, building, or interior structure”