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noun

1
2
: a projecting part of a building (such as a church) that is usually semicircular in plan and vaulted

Examples of apse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In an apse, near the site of the sarcophagus, is a sparkling mosaic of Jesus in reddish and gold robes sitting atop the orb of the world. Elizabeth Dias, New York Times, 8 May 2025 The Gozzoli frescoes, which occupy a high octagonal apse in San Francesco, had the same warmth and intimacy of the artist’s Magi paintings. Peter Terzian, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2024 By the time of Gaudí’s death in 1926, the Sagrada Familia was just 10 to 15 percent complete, including a crypt, a transept, and some of the apse wall. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2024 But today, only Maria Miranda wasps inhabit the crumbling apse of her church. Catherine Fairweather, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Mar. 2024 See All Example Sentences for apse

Word History

Etymology

shortening of apsis, perhaps by analogy with base entry 1 : basis

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of apse was in 1715

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Cite this Entry

“Apse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apse. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

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noun
: a part of a building (as a church) that sticks out from one end of the building, is usually semicircular, has an arched roof, and is often richly decorated especially in Gothic churches

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