Message-ID: <4669268.1075858928222.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Fri, 25 May 2001 01:42:55 -0700 (PDT) From: wsmith@wordsmith.org To: linguaphile@wordsmith.org Subject: A.Word.A.Day--finial Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Wordsmith @ENRON X-To: linguaphile@wordsmith.org X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \SSCOTT5 (Non-Privileged)\Scott, Susan M.\Wordsmith X-Origin: Scott-S X-FileName: SSCOTT5 (Non-Privileged).pst finial (FIN-ee-ehl, FI-nee-) noun 1. An ornamental object on top of an architectural structure or a piece of furniture. 2. A curve at the end of the main stroke of a character in some italic fonts. [From Middle English, finial, final, from Latin finis, end.] "Just ahead, rolling lawns and a canopy of pecan, willow, oak and English walnut trees frame an imposing multitiered manor house complete with portico exterior, dormer windows and a welcoming 3 1/2-foot pineapple finial crowning its mansard roof." Suzanne Murphy-Larronde, Mind Your Manors, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Mar 18, 2001. This week's theme: words for odds and ends. ............................................................................ To have doubted one's own first principles is the mark of a civilized man. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., poet, novelist, essayist, and physician (1809-1894) Looking for a word or quotation previously featured in AWAD? They are all archived at http://wordsmith.org/awad/archives.html . For the theme list, see http://wordsmith.org/awad/themes.html . Alphabetical listing of the words is available at http://wordsmith.org/awad/wordlist.html Pronunciation: http://wordsmith.org/words/finial.wav http://wordsmith.org/words/finial.ram