| 释义 |
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024squinch1 (skwinch),USA pronunciation n. [Archit.]- Architecturea small arch, corbeling, or the like, built across the interior angle between two walls, as in a square tower for supporting the side of a superimposed octagonal spire.
- Middle French escoinson, esconchon; see sconcheon
- variant of scunch, short for scuncheon, Middle English sconch(e)on 1490–1500
- to contort (the features) or squint.
- to squeeze together or contract.
v.i. - to squeeze together or crouch down, as to fit into a smaller space.
- 1830–40; origin, originally uncertain; compare squint
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: squinch /skwɪntʃ/ n - a small arch, corbelling, etc, across an internal corner of a tower, used to support a superstructure such as a spire
Also called: squinch arch
Etymology: 15th Century: from obsolete scunch, from Middle English sconcheon, from Old French escoinson, from es- ex-1 + coin corner |