Glossary of Victorian Terms

A

Acanthus: A decorative leaf motif used in classical architecture, commonly found on Corinthian capitals and Victorian moldings.

Aesthetic Movement: A late-Victorian artistic style emphasizing beauty, nature, and refined craftsmanship, often seen in delicate patterns, stylized flowers, and Japanese-inspired motifs.

Anaglypta: A type of embossed, paintable wallcovering made from paper or pulp, used in late Victorian interiors as a durable alternative to decorative plaster.

Apron: A decorative panel below a window sill or under a mantelpiece.

B

Bay Window: A window that projects outward from the main walls of a building, typically creating additional interior space.

Beadboard: Narrow, tongue-and-groove wood paneling with a small ridge ("bead") at each joint; common in Victorian kitchens, porches, and utility rooms.

Bracket: An ornamental or structural support element, often scroll-shaped, used under eaves, balconies, or shelves.

Broderie Perse: A decorative textile technique where fabric cutouts are appliquéd onto a background to form floral and pictorial scenes, popular in Victorian needlework.

C

Cameo Glass: Decorative glass featuring layers of differently colored glass carved to create raised images-an expensive Victorian luxury item.

Casement Window: A window hinged at the side and opening outward like a door; common in late Victorian and Queen Anne homes.

Corbel: A bracket-like projection from a wall, used to support weight above it.

Cornice: A decorative molding that crowns or finishes the top of a wall, pillar, or building.

D

Dado Rail: A horizontal molding running along the wall at chair height, separating the upper wall finish from the lower (wainscot or wallpaper).

Davenport Desk: A compact slant-top writing desk with drawers on one side, popular in Victorian homes for its space-efficient design.

Dentil Molding: A decorative trim featuring a series of rectangular blocks resembling teeth, often found on cornices.

Dormer: A structural element that projects from a sloping roof, usually containing a window.

E

Eaves: The lower edge of a roof that overhangs the walls of a building.

Egg and Dart: A decorative molding pattern featuring alternating oval and arrow-like shapes.

Epergne: An elaborate, often multi-branch table centerpiece made of silver or glass, used for displaying fruit or flowers in Victorian dining rooms.

Etched Glass: Frosted or patterned glass created through acid etching or sandblasting-commonly found in Victorian doors, transoms, and windows.

F

Fanlight: A semi-circular or rectangular window above a door, often with radiating muntins; used to admit light into Victorian entry halls.

Finial: An ornament at the top of a pinnacle, gable, or other architectural feature.

Fretwork: Ornamental openwork patterns cut into wood or metal-popular on Victorian porches, gables, and interior screens.

G

Gable: The triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof.

Gasolier: A gas-powered chandelier, often later converted to electricity; a common Victorian lighting fixture combining decorative metalwork and etched globes.

Gilding: Applying thin layers of gold leaf to furniture, mirrors, frames, and architectural moldings for a luxurious finish.

Gingerbread: Decorative woodwork featuring intricate, ornamental trim, common in Victorian architecture.

H

Hall Tree: A tall combined coat rack, umbrella stand, and mirror placed in the Victorian entry hall.

Historicism: An architectural style that draws inspiration from historical periods, characteristic of Victorian design.

Hobie Lantern (Hobby Lantern): A small portable lantern used for safe nighttime travel indoors, especially before electric lighting.

Hood Molding: A projecting molding above a door or window to deflect water.

J

Japanning: A European imitation of Japanese lacquerwork, using varnish to create glossy, exotic decorative surfaces on furniture and metal objects.

L

Lattice: A framework of crossed wood or metal strips, used for screens, trellises, or decorative panels.

Lincrusta: A deeply embossed, durable wallcovering made from linseed oil and wood flour-similar to Anaglypta but thicker and more sculptural.

Lintel: A horizontal support beam above a door or window opening.

Lithophane: A thin porcelain panel with molded imagery that becomes detailed and luminous when backlit-popular in Victorian nightlights and lamps.

M

Mansard Roof: A four-sided gambrel-style hip roof with two slopes on each side, the lower slope being steeper.

Mashrabiya (Victorian Use): A term adopted in some late Victorian Orientalist design describing turned-wood lattice screens inspired by Middle Eastern architecture.

Molding: A decorative strip of material used to add detail or define edges in architecture.

Moravian Star: A geometric star-shaped pendant light fixture introduced during the Victorian era and used in entryways and porches.

N

Newel Post: The large vertical post at the bottom or top of a staircase that supports the handrail.

Niche: A recess in a wall, often semicircular, used to display a statue or decorative object.

Nouveau Grille: Decorative wrought-iron grillework with curving, organic lines, characteristic of the late Victorian transition to Art Nouveau.

O

Ogee: An S-shaped curve used in moldings and arches, consisting of a concave curve above a convex curve.

Oriel Window: A projecting bay window supported by brackets or corbels, often found on upper stories of Victorian homes.

P

Pediment: A triangular gable found on classical buildings, often filled with decorative sculpture or moldings.

Penny Tile: Small, round ceramic tiles (often white) used for Victorian bathroom and kitchen floors.

Pier Glass: A tall mirror placed between windows ("piers") to reflect light and visually enlarge Victorian parlors.

Pilaster: A flattened column-like projection from a wall, serving a decorative rather than structural purpose.

Q

Quadrifoil: A four-lobed decorative motif used in Victorian Gothic architecture, appearing in windows, paneling, and ironwork.

Quoin: Decorative stones or bricks at the corner of a building, often larger or different in color from the main wall material.

R

Railing: A barrier or fence made of posts and rails, used on porches, balconies, and staircases.

Rococo Revival: A Victorian reimagining of 18th-century Rococo style, featuring curvy forms, shells, scrolls, and floral carving in furniture and interiors.

Rosette: A circular decorative ornament, often carved or molded, used as architectural decoration.

S

Sash Window Weight: The cast-iron counterbalance inside the frame of a Victorian double-hung window, allowing the sash to remain open.

Spandrel: The space between two arches or between an arch and a rectangular enclosure.

Spindle: A slender vertical support element, often turned on a lathe, used in railings and balustrades.

Stained Glass Light: A stained-glass panel placed in a narrow window opening or transom to bring decorative color into Victorian interiors.

T

Tesselated Floor: A patterned, mosaic-like tile floor (often geometric) used in Victorian entry halls and verandahs.

Tracery: Ornamental stone or wood patterns within window openings, especially in Gothic Revival Victorian architecture.

Transom: A horizontal crossbar over a door or window, often containing a decorative window.

Turret: A small tower-like structure projecting from the corner or side of a building.

V

Velour Portière: A heavy velvet curtain hung in a doorway to block drafts and divide Victorian interior spaces.

Veranda: An open-air gallery or porch, usually roofed, running along the outside of a building.

Victorian: Referring to the period and architectural style prevalent during Queen Victoria's reign (1837-1901).

W

Wainscoting: Wood paneling applied to the lower portion of interior walls.

Weatherboard: Horizontal wooden boards used as exterior siding, overlapping to shed water.

Z

Zinc: A metal often used in Victorian architecture for roofing, gutters, and decorative elements.