cu·po·la  (ky p ə-l ə)
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n. 1. Architecture a. A vaulted roof or ceiling. b. A small dome set on a circular or polygonal base or resting on pillars. c. A small structure surmounting a roof or dome, often used as a lookout or to admit light and air. 2. A cylindrical shaft type of blast furnace used for remelting metals, usually iron, before casting. 3. A small rounded and domed structure, as for observation, on a tracked, armored vehicle.
[Italian, from Late Latin cūpula, diminutive of Latin cūpa, tub; possibly akin to various words denoting hollow objects across Eurasia, such as Greek kupellon, drinking vessel, goblet, Old Norse húfr, hull of a ship, Old English hȳf, skep, and Sanskrit kūpaḥ, hole.]
cupo·laed (kypə-ləd) adj.  (click for a larger image) cupola |
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