lunette

[ loo-net ]

noun

1. any of various objects or spaces of crescentlike or semicircular outline or section.
2. Architecture. (in the plane of a wall) an area enframed by an arch or vault.
3. a painting, sculpture, or window filling such an area.
4. Fortification. a work consisting of a salient angle with two flanks and an open gorge.
5. Ordnance. a towing ring in the trail plate of a towed vehicle, as a gun carriage.
6. Ecclesiastical. Luna ( def 3 ).

lunette

/ luːˈnɛt /

noun

1. anything that is shaped like a crescent
2. an oval or circular opening to admit light in a dome
3. a semicircular panel containing a window, mural, or sculpture
4. a ring attached to a vehicle, into which a hook is inserted so that it can be towed
5. a type of fortification like a detached bastion
6. Also calledlune RC Church a case fitted with a bracket to hold the consecrated host

Word History and Origins

Origin of lunette¹

1570–80; < French, diminutive of lune moon < Latin lūna; -ette

Word History and Origins

Origin of lunette¹

C16: from French: crescent, from lune moon, from Latin lūna

Example Sentences

Entering beneath the lunette or peacock window, the oldest part of the historical structure, visitors find themselves in the sheltering canopy of the Palm House beneath the Conservatory’s central glass dome.

From Seattle Times

I opened it and there, in the crude door frame, was the boundless expanse of crescent dunes edged with sharp black lunettes.

From New York Times

Mrs. Trump, who spent years as a high-fashion model, looks both dignified and beautiful, standing before one of the arch-topped lunette windows located in the private residence of the White House.

From Washington Times

The gray-and-white marble bathroom features the lunette window and a sloping ceiling.

From Washington Post

Plus, shaping the cookies into dainty lunettes without breaking them apart was a challenge.

From Washington Post