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Webster 1913 Edition

Corbel

Cor′bel

(kôr′bĕl)
,
Noun.
[F.
corbeau
, for older
corbel
, dim. of L.
corbis
basket. (Corbels were often in the form of a basket.) See
Corbeil
.]
(Arch.)
A bracket supporting a superincumbent object, or receiving the spring of an arch. Corbels were employed largely in Gothic architecture.
☞ A common form of corbel consists of courses of stones or bricks, each projecting slightly beyond the next below it.

Cor′bel

,
Verb.
T.
To furnish with a corbel or corbels; to support by a corbel; to make in the form of a corbel.
To corbel out
,
to furnish with a corbel of courses, each projecting beyond the one next below it.

Webster 1828 Edition

Corbel

CORBEL

,
Noun.
[See the preceding words.]
1.
In architecture, the representation of a basket, sometimes set on the heads of caryatides.
2.
The vase or tambour of the Corinthian column; so called from its resemblance to a basket.

Definition 2025

corbel

corbel

English

Noun

corbel ‎(plural corbels)

  1. (architecture) A structural member jutting out of a wall to carry a superincumbent weight.

Related terms

Verb

corbel ‎(third-person singular simple present corbels, present participle corbelling or corbeling, simple past and past participle corbelled or corbeled)

  1. (transitive) To furnish with a corbel or corbels; to support by a corbel; to make in the form of a corbel.

Derived terms

Old French

Etymology

Either a diminutive of corp ‎(“raven”), corf, or from a Late Latin corbellus, corvellus, from Latin corvus (Vulgar Latin variant *corbus).

Noun

corbel m ‎(oblique plural corbeaus or corbeax or corbiaus or corbiax or corbels, nominative singular corbeaus or corbeax or corbiaus or corbiax or corbels, nominative plural corbel)

  1. crow (bird)

Descendants

Etymology

A corbel

Borrowing from Old French corbel, from Late Latin corbellus, corvellus, diminutive of Latin corvus ‎(“raven”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkɔːbəl/

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