lunette

noun

lu·nette | \lü-ˈnet

Definition of lunette

1 : something that has the shape of a crescent or half-moon: such as

a : an opening in a vault especially for a window

b : the surface at the upper part of a wall that is partly surrounded by a vault which the wall intersects and that is often filled by windows or by mural painting

c : a low crescentic mound (as of sand) formed by the wind

2 : the figure or shape of a crescent moon

Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about lunette

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Did You Know?

Lunette, a word borrowed from French, looks like it should mean "little moon" - "luna" being Latin for moon and "-ette" being a diminutive suffix. There is indeed some 17th-century evidence of the word being used for a small celestial moon, but that meaning is now obsolete. Earlier, in the 16th century, "lunette" referred to a horseshoe having only the front semicircular part - a meaning that still exists but is quite rare. "Lunette" has other meanings too rare for our Collegiate Dictionary but included in our Unabridged. Among these are "a blinder especially for a vicious horse" and, in the plural form, "spectacles." ("Lunettes" is the usual term for eyeglasses in modern French.) The oldest meaning of "lunette" still in common use is "something shaped like a crescent or half-moon," which our evidence dates to circa 1639.

Examples of lunette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Along the walls of the arcade are 26 lunettes with symbolical designs and subjects such as Agriculture, Art, Justice, Knowledge, Music, Navigation, Peace and Thrift. — Dan Austin, Detroit Free Press, "Happy 90th Fisher Building! 10 fascinating facts about a Detroit icon," 1 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lunette.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.