1560s, "the art of building," especially of fine or beautiful building; "tasteful application of scientific and traditional rules of good construction to the materials at hand," from French architecture, from Latin architectura, from architectus "master builder, chief workman" (see architect). The meaning "buildings constructed architecturally" is from 1610s.
"pertaining or relating to architecture or the art of building; according to the principles of architecture," 1759; see architecture + -al (1). Related: Architecturally.
"embracing and caressing a member of the opposite sex," 1825; see neck (v.). In architecture, "moldings near the capital of a column."
in architecture, "an S-shaped molding," 1670s, said to be from a corruption of French ogive "diagonal rib of a vault" of a type normal in 13c. French architecture, earlier augive, a word of unknown origin. According to Watkins, in part from Latin via "way, road" (see via). Related: ogival. Middle English had ogif (late 13c.) "a stone for the diagonal rib of a vault," from the French word and Medieval Latin ogiva.
1560s, in architecture, "large, rounded molding at the base of a column," from Latin torus "a swelling, bulge, knot; cushion, couch."
1892, "functionality;" 1902 as a term in social sciences; from functional + -ism. In architecture from 1930. Related: functionalist.
"having hips," c. 1500, past-participle adjective; see hip (n.1)). In architecture (of roofs) from 1785.
