entasis

en·ta·sis

noun \ˈen-tə-sis\

plural en·ta·ses\-tə-ˌsēz\

Definition of ENTASIS

: a slight convexity especially in the shaft of a column

Origin of ENTASIS

Greek, literally, distension, stretching, from enteinen to stretch tight, from en- ²en- + teinein to stretch — more at thin

First Known Use: 1664

entasis

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Convex curve given to a column, spire, or similar upright member to avoid the optical illusion of hollowness or weakness that would arise from normal tapering. Exaggerated in Greek work of the Doric order, it grew more and more subtle in the 5th–4th century BC. Entasis is also occasionally found in Gothic spires and in smaller Romanesque columns.