cyma reversa

[ ri-vur-suh ]

noun

, Architecture.

1. a cyma whose convex part projects beyond the concave part.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cyma reversa¹

1555–65; < New Latin: literally, reversed cyma

Example Sentences

A Glossary for Architectural Rubberneckers YOU can be an insufferable know-it-all with architectural terminology: “Oh, that’s not a cyma recta, it’s a cyma reversa.”

From New York Times

When the concave part is uppermost, it is called a cyma recta; but if the convex portion is at the top, it is called a cyma reversa.

From Project Gutenberg

Its general section is that of a cyma reversa surmounted by a flattened torus, and its appearance that of a vase decorated with curvilinear and geometrical tracery.

From Project Gutenberg