onion dome

noun

, Architecture.

1. a bulbous, domelike roof ending in a sharp point, characteristically used in Russian Orthodox church architecture to cover cupolas or towers.

onion dome

noun

1. a bulb-shaped dome characteristic of Byzantine and Russian church architecture

Word History and Origins

Origin of onion dome¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Nearby, at the Russian Orthodox church with an emerald onion dome, a woman behind the closed gates explained that the church, despite its usual operating hours, was now closed to visitors.

From New York Times

The local church, with its onion dome, sits next to the school.

From New York Times

To the west in the park, the lime green “Electric Kiss,” also from 2008, stands 10 feet tall in a meadow, its shape evoking an onion dome, or a teardrop, or a Hershey’s Kiss.

From New York Times

The onion dome, which weighs eight tons and is 12 meters high, is the first of five to top the cathedral slated for completion in October.

From US News

But at the apex of the roof, instead of a point there is a small glass turret, topped with an onion dome of the kind you might see on a local church.

From BBC