Definition

1. Noun:
   • A triangular gable between a horizontal entablature and a sloping roof: In classical architecture, a pediment is the low-pitched, triangular gable found above a portico, door, window, or facade, often decorated with sculptures or moldings.
   • A broad, gently sloping rock surface at the base of a mountain: In geology, a pediment is an erosion surface of bedrock, typically covered by a thin layer of gravel, found in arid regions.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Architecture):
  • The Parthenon's pediment is adorned with magnificent marble sculptures.
  • The architect designed a simple, unadorned pediment above the main entrance.
• Noun (Geology):
  • The desert landscape was characterized by vast pediments at the foot of the mountain ranges.
  • Geologists study the formation of pediments to understand erosion processes.

Advanced Usage

• "Broken pediment": A pediment in which the raking cornice is left open at the apex, often used in Baroque and later architecture.
  • The elaborate doorway was crowned with a broken pediment containing a decorative urn.
• "Segmental pediment": A pediment in which the upper cornice forms a segment of a circle rather than a triangle.
  • The Palladian window was topped with a graceful segmental pediment.

Variants and Related Words

• Pedimental (adj): Pertaining to or resembling a pediment.
  • The pedimental sculptures were carefully restored.
• Pedimented (adj): Having or furnished with a pediment.
  • The pedimented facade gave the building a neoclassical appearance.

Synonyms

• Gable: The triangular upper part of a wall at the end of a ridged roof (note: a gable is a more general structural form, while a pediment is a specific classical architectural feature).
• Fronton: A term, especially in French and Spanish, for a pediment or similar crowning element.

Related Phrases

• "Pediment sculpture": Sculptural decoration within the triangular field of a pediment.
  • The pediment sculpture depicted a scene from Greek mythology.
• "Pediment arch": An architectural feature combining an arch with a pediment-like form above it.

Noun

1. a triangular gable between a horizontal entablature and a sloping roof