Vocabulary Words
Lesson 3
Architecture
Access
• Noun
• A passage; a means of approach
• The new access included a ramp to make the
building more convenient for disabled people
Appraise
• Verb
• To evaluate; to estimate the quality of
• The bank called in an expert estimator to
appraise the value of the Millers’ home.
Buttress
• Noun
• A prop; a structure built against a wall for
support
• The buttress is an important structure built
against a wall for support.
Cornice
• Noun
• A horizontal decorative molding between the
walls and ceiling of a room or the horizontal
molding along a roof
• When the room was remodeled, the carpenter
added an ornate cornice to complement the
Victorian décor.
Dilapidated
• Adjective
• Run-down; in a state of disrepair
• The garage was so dilapidated that we
decided to knock it down and build a new
one.
Domicile
• Noun
• A home; legal residence
• For tax purposes, he listed an address in Bern,
Switzerland, as his domicile.
Eaves
• Noun
• The projected overhang at the edge of a roof
• In winter, water drips from the house’s eaves
and forms ice on the sidewalk.
Facade
• Noun
• The front of a building
• The façade of the old building is identical to
it’s neighbor, but the two interiors are
completely different.
Facilities
• Noun
• Constructions built for a specific need
• Bids were accepted for the construction of
health-care facilities in the neighboring towns
Flue
• Noun
• A pipe through which steam or smoke may
pass, as in a boiler or chimney
• My father forgot to open the flue of our
chimney before lighting the fire.
Mausoleum
• Noun
• A large, stately tomb
• India’s Taj Mahal is a mausoleum, built by a
grieving emperor to honor his late wife.
Partition
• Noun
• A structure that separates or divides
• Remodelers turned the old home into offices
by adding a partition in each large room.
Posterior
• Adjective
• Located behind or toward the rear of a
structure
• The posterior wall of the greenhouse was
angled to receive the noon-day sun.
Scaffold
• Noun
• A temporary raised platform used during the
construction, repair, or cleaning of a building
• Painters erected a scaffold to use while
painting the three-story building.
Stilt
• Noun
• A tall post used to elevate and support
something
• The land is so swampy that a stilt must be
placed under each corner of every house and
outbuilding.
Stucco
• Noun
• A finish for walls, usually made of cement,
sand, and lime and applied wet
• Spanish-style houses are often covered with
stucco.
Tier
• Noun
• One of a series of rows placed one above the
other
• Although we bought our basketball tickets at
the same time, our friends’ seats were one
tier behind ours.
Trestle
• Noun
• A supporting framework of wood or steel
• When the train crossed the railroad trestle,
the passengers looked down apprehensively
at the raging river.
Trowel
• Noun
• A flat-bladed hand tool used for leveling,
spreading, or shaping cement or mortar
• We admired the bricklayer’s skillful handling
of the trowel.
Veneer
• Noun
• A thin surface layer of wood, brick, or stone
giving the appearance of solidity
• Tom saved money by using an oak veneer for
the desk top instead of solid wood.