coussinet

English

Etymology

From French.

Noun

coussinet (plural coussinets)

1. (architecture) A stone placed on the impost of a pier for receiving the first stone of an arch or vault.
   • 1830, Sir David Brewster, The Edinburgh Encyclopaedia, page 523:

     The intrados of a simple vault is generally formed of the portion of the surface of a cylinder, cylindroid, or sphere, never greater than that of half the solid; and the springing lines of the coussinet, which terminate the walls from which the vault rises, are generally straight lines, parallel to the axis of the cylinder or cylindroid.

   • 1839, Joseph Gwilt, A Treatise on the Equilibrium of Arches, page 79:

     It is to be observed that in most of , if not in all , their bridges , the ancients did not increase the dimensions of their voussoirs from the crown towards the springing or coussinet, but made them of an equal thickness throughout; in this they were followed by Palladio, and all the Italian architects.

   • 1862, The American Journal of Education - Volume 12, page 212:

     Investigation by analysis of the pressures and resistances of an arch, 1st . Hypothesis of a plat-band; stability at the springing charge necessary on the coussinet; stability of the plat-band on its piers; thickness of the piers.

2. (architecture) Part of the Ionic capital between the abacus and quarter round, which forms the volute.
   • 1842, Joseph Gwilt, An Encyclopædia of Architecture, page 929:

     The term balteus is also used by Vitruvius to denote the strap which seems to bind up the coussinet or cushion of the Ionic capital.

   • 2013, Jacob Burckhardt, History of Greek Culture, page 152:

     Many details merely painted on in the Doric order, like the leaves on the molding, the coussinet, etc., are presented plastically in the Ionic.

   • 2020, G.W.F Hegel, The Philosophy of Fine Art: Volume 3, page 64:

     It has not only a carved coussinet, little ledge and plinth, but receives both to the right and left a spiral winding, and at the sides a decorative kind of cushion, wfrom which is derivedi ts title of the pulvinated capital.

Anagrams

• consuites, senticous

French

Etymology

From coussin + -et.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku.si.nɛ/

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

Noun

coussinet m (plural coussinets)

1. (small) cushion
2. pad (of animal)
3. (technical) bearing
4. (architecture) cushion
5. (colloquial) toe bean (digital pad of a cat or dog's paw)

See also

• coussinette
• roulement
• palier

Further reading

• “coussinet”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.