cupola

noun

cu·​po·​la ˈkyü-pə-lə 

1

a

: a rounded vault resting on a usually circular base and forming a roof or a ceiling

b

: a small structure built on top of a roof

2

: a vertical cylindrical furnace for melting iron in the foundry that has tuyeres and tapping spouts near the bottom

3

: a raised observation post in the roof of a railroad caboose

cupolaed

ˈkyü-pə-ləd 

adjective

Examples of cupola in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Printemps is celebrating the jacket with a new exhibition taking place under the stained glass cupola of its flagship on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris. —Joelle Diderich, WWD, 9 Sep. 2024

The spacecraft will be fitted with a cupola for both photography and filming. —Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 12 Aug. 2024

He’s set to fly again on Resilience as early as Aug. 26 on a launch from Kennedy Space Center on the Polaris Dawn mission, also an orbital flight, but without the cupola, and instead a hatch that will allow for the first commercial tethered spacewalk. —Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2024

SpaceX is replacing the cupola window feature that Resilience flew with on Inspiration4 with an exit hatch instead. —Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Latin cupula, diminutive of cupa tub

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

cupola

noun

cu·​po·​la ˈkyü-pə-lə 

1

: a rounded roof or ceiling : dome

2

: a small structure built on top of a roof