tholos, tholoi - 09/05/02 05:01 PM
The American HeritageŽ Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
tholos
SYLLABICATION:
thoˇlos
PRONUNCIATION:
thls, -ls
NOUN:
Inflected forms: pl. thoˇloi (-loi)
A beehive-shaped stone tomb of Mycenaean Greece, roofed by corbeling and
usually built into the side of a hill.
ETYMOLOGY:
Greek, round building with a conical roof.
(corbelling in this case means making roof of successively smaller
overhanging circles until a capstone can be applied.)
As a bit of trivia, "thole pins" preceded oar locks. A pair of sturdy pins
set into gunwale of skiff served as fulcra for oar to make rowing possible.
tholos
SYLLABICATION:
thoˇlos
PRONUNCIATION:
thls, -ls
NOUN:
Inflected forms: pl. thoˇloi (-loi)
A beehive-shaped stone tomb of Mycenaean Greece, roofed by corbeling and
usually built into the side of a hill.
ETYMOLOGY:
Greek, round building with a conical roof.
(corbelling in this case means making roof of successively smaller
overhanging circles until a capstone can be applied.)
As a bit of trivia, "thole pins" preceded oar locks. A pair of sturdy pins
set into gunwale of skiff served as fulcra for oar to make rowing possible.