In classical architecture, an architrave is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of columns.
Agonoclita or the Agonoclites in antiquity was a Christian sect from the 7th century whose distinguishing principle was never to kneel, but to deliver all their prayers standing.
An alanorarius, in ancient European customs, was a keeper or manager of spaniels, or setting-dogs, for the sports of hunting and falconry.
An annulet is a small square component in the Doric capital, under the quarter-round. It is also called a fillet or listel, although fillet and listel are also more general terms for a narrow band or strip, such as the ridge between flutes.
Anthologion, or Anthologue, is a breviary that has been in use among the Greeks.
Apertura feudi, in ancient law books, denotes the loss of a feudal land tenure, by default of issue to him, to whom the feud or fee was first granted.
Aphronitre, or aphronitrum, is a kind of nitre, mentioned in ancient texts. It was supposed to be the foam or froth of a liquid, emerging to the top. Naturalists have taken the ancient aphronitre to have been a native saltpetre.
Argentum album, mentioned in Domesday, signifies bullion, or silver uncoined. In those ancient days, such passed as money from one to another in payment.
Aromaticum rosatum was a powder used in traditional medicine made of red roses, liquorice, aloeswood, yellowheart, cinnamon, cloves, mace, gum tragacanth, nutmegs, cardamoms, galangals, spikenard, ambergris, and musk mixed together. It was chiefly prescribed in cordial and cephalic boles and electuaries. It was believed to act as a tonic on the heart, stomach and liver.
Attachiamenta bonorum, in ancient law books, denotes an attachment of chattels to recover a personal debt or estate.
In heraldry, an avellane cross is a form of cross which resembles four hazel filberts in their husks or cases, joined together at the great end. The term comes from the Latin name for the hazel, originally Nux avellana. It was fairly rare in English heraldry.
Azone is a term in mythology anciently applied to gods and goddesses that were not the private divinities of any particular country or people. Azones were acknowledged as deities in every country, and worshipped in every nation. The word is etymologically derived from Greek for "without" and "country". The azones were to a degree above the visible and sensible deities, which were called zonei, who inhabited some particular part of the world, and never stirred out of the district or zone that was assigned them.
A butlerage was a duty of two shillings on every ton of wine imported into England by merchant strangers. It was so called because it was paid to the king's butler for the king. The tax was levied from 1302 to 1809.
In the customs of the kingdom of England, the caput baroniae was the ancient, or chief seat or castle of a nobleman, which was not to be divided among the daughters upon his death, in case there be no son to inherit. Instead, it was to descend entirely to the eldest daughter, caeteris filiabus aliunde satisfactis.
Cert-money, or head-money, was a common fine, paid annually by the residents of several manors to the lords thereof; and sometimes to the hundred; pro certo letae, for the certain keeping of the leet. This in ancient records, was called certum letae.
In architecture, a chantlate is a piece of wood fastened near the ends of the rafters, and projecting beyond the wall, to support two or three rows of tiles, so placed to prevent rain water from trickling down the sides of the wall.
A chapeau is a flat-topped hat once worn by senior clerics.
In ancient Roman international law, a clarigation was a loud, clear call or summons made to an enemy to demand satisfaction for some injury received, without which there would be a declaration of war. Clarigation equates to what the Ancient Greeks called ανδροληψία (androlepsy).
The cosmolabe was an ancient astronomical instrument resembling the astrolabe, formerly used for measuring the angles between heavenly bodies. It is also called pantacosm. Jacques Besson also uses this name, or universal instrument, for his invention described in Le cosmolabe (1567), which could be used for astrometry, cartography, navigation, and surveying.
In Ancient Rome, diffarreatio was a form of divorce in which a cake was used. Diffarreatio was properly the dissolving of marriages contracted by confarreatio, which were those of the pontifices. Festus says it was performed with a wheaten cake and that it was called diffarreatio from far, "wheat". Vigenère claims that confarreatio and diffarreatio are the same thing.
