keystone
American Heritage Dictionary:
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key·stone
(kē'stōn') 
n.
n.
- Architecture. The central wedge-shaped stone of an arch that locks its parts together. Also called headstone.
- The central supporting element of a whole.
Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang:
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Keystone
noun
noun
A policeman. (1935 —) .
A. Hunter The local Keystones move in demanding alibis (1971).
[From the 'Keystone Cops', policemen featured in a series of US slapstick comedy films produced by the Keystone film company, formed by 'Mack Sennett' in (1912).]
noun
A policeman. (1935 —) .
A. Hunter The local Keystones move in demanding alibis (1971).
[From the 'Keystone Cops', policemen featured in a series of US slapstick comedy films produced by the Keystone film company, formed by 'Mack Sennett' in (1912).]
| Kelly's eye, Kathleen Mavourneen, Kate and Sidney | |
| Khyber Pass, King Kong, Kraut |
Random House Word Menu:
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categories related to 'keystone'
- Building and Machine Parts - keystone: central, uppermost stone of arch
- Commerce and Trade - keystone: (vb) price goods at twice their cost as standard practice
- Classical Elements and Design - keystone: center stone of arch
- Baseball - keystone: second base
- Practice, Discipline, and Belief - keystone: part or force on which related things depend
See crossword solutions for the clue Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Keystone (architecture)
This article is about the architectural element. For other uses, see Keystone (disambiguation).
_-_Dettaglio_-_Foto_Giovanni_Dall%27Orto,_31-Aug-2007.jpg)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight.[1] This makes a keystone very important structurally.[2][3] Although a masonry arch or vault cannot be self-supporting until the keystone is placed, the keystone experiences the least stress of any of the voussoirs, due to its position at the apex.[4] Old keystones can decay due to vibration, a condition known as bald arch.
In a rib-vaulted ceiling, keystones may mark the intersections of two or more arched ribs. For aesthetic purposes, the keystone is sometimes larger than the other voussoirs, or embellished with a boss. Mannerist architects of the 16th century often designed arches with enlarged and slightly dropped keystones, as in the "church house" entrance portal at Colditz Castle (see image). Numerous examples are found in the work of Sebastiano Serlio, a 16th century Italian Mannerist architect.
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Figurative use
The term is used figuratively to refer to the central supporting element of a larger structure, such as a theory or an organization, without which the whole structure would collapse.[3] Example: Trade is the keystone of modern civilization.
The U.S. state of Pennsylvania is called the "Keystone State" because of its central location and commercial and political importance among the 13 colonies. The notched keystone shape is sometimes used as a logo for the state. From this, the keystone shape became the logo of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), the shoulder sleeve insignia of the 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard, Little League Baseball (founded in Williamsport), and of Heinz Ketchup (headquartered in Pittsburgh).[citation needed] The PRR's passenger and mixed traffic locomotives had keystone numberplates. The keystone shape is also used on Pennsylvania's state route markers.
Gallery
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The York Minster Chapter House ceiling
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A boss depicting Jesus Christ decorates the keystone in the rib-vaulting at Chapel of St. Anne in Malbork , 14th century.
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Ornamental keystone over portal
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Bossed keystone in the ceiling of an apse chapel (Toulouse Cathedral)
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Symbolic shape
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Arches with equal-size voussoirs and keystones, Mosque of Cordoba, Spain
.jpg)
See also
- Architectural sculpture
- Boss (architecture)
- Coping (architecture)
- List of classical architecture terms
- Pennsylvania Railroad
- Oculus compression ring
Notes
- ^ Ching, Francis D.K. (1995). A Visual Dictionary of Architecture. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. pp. 12. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/0-471-82451-3|0-471-82451-3]].
- ^ "Glossary of Medieval Art and Architecture - Keystone". University of Pittsburgh. http://www.pitt.edu/~medart/menuglossary/keystone.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
- ^ a b "keystone". Merriam Webster. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keystone. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
- ^ "Windows and More About Arches". http://www.brantacan.co.uk/keystones.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
External links
Media related to keystones at Wikimedia Commons
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Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Keystone. |
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Translations:
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Keystone
Dansk (Danish)
n. - hjørnesten, grundprincip, kilesten, udfyldningssten
Nederlands (Dutch)
hoeksteen, sluitsteen (van gewelf)
Français (French)
n. - (Archit, fig) clé de voûte
Deutsch (German)
n. - Schlußstein, Hauptstütze
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (αρχιτ.) κλειδόλιθος, αψιδόλιθος, σφηνόλιθος, (μτφ.) κύριο στήριγμα, θεμέλιο, μοχλός, άξονας
Italiano (Italian)
chiave di volta
Português (Portuguese)
n. - pedra (f) angular (Arquit.), chave (f), princípio (m) básico (fig.)
Русский (Russian)
краеугольный камень
Español (Spanish)
n. - idea fundamental, nota tónica, piedra angular, clave
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - slutsten, hörnsten, grundpelare
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
拱心石, 楔石, 基本原则, 主旨, 基础
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 拱心石, 楔石, 基本原則, 主旨, 基礎
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - かなめ石, 要旨, 要石
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) حجر العقد
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - עקרון מרכזי בשיטה, תורה וכו', אבן ראשה, אבן בפסגת קשת
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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