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What Is a Dentil? What Is a Dentil Molding?

By , About.com Guide

ArtToday.com; used with permission

This Caryatid porch from ancient Athens, Greece has Ionic dentils.

ArtToday.com
Definition:

A dentil is one of a series of closely spaced, rectangular blocks that form a molding. Dentil molding usually projects below the cornice, along the roofline of a building. However, dentil molding can form a decorative band anywhere on the structure.

Alternate Spellings:

dentil moulding

Common Misspellings:

dental

Examples:

"The Melville, with its brick front, delicate dentil molding, white keystones, and arched Georgian entrance, looks a little too fancy for its rural location..." - Witold Rybczynski, Last Harvest (2007), p. 244

D: Architecture Terms Starting With D

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