Quoin

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Quoin \Quoin\ (kwoin or koin; 277), n. [See {Coin}, and cf.
     {Coigne}.]
     1. (Arch.) Originally, a solid exterior angle, as of a
        building; now, commonly, one of the selected pieces of
        material by which the corner is marked.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     Note: In stone, the quoins consist of blocks larger than
           those used in the rest of the building, and cut to
           dimension. In brickwork, quoins consist of groups or
           masses of brick laid together, and in a certain
           imitation of quoins of stone.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A wedgelike piece of stone, wood, metal, or other
        material, used for various purposes; as:
        (a) (Masonry) To support and steady a stone.
        (b) (Gun.) To support the breech of a cannon.
        (c) (Print.) To wedge or lock up a form within a chase.
        (d) (Naut.) To prevent casks from rolling.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     {Hollow quoin}. See under {Hollow}.
  
     {Quoin post} (Canals), the post of a lock gate which abuts
        against the wall.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  quoin
       n 1: expandable metal or wooden wedge used by printers to lock up
            a form within a chase [syn: {coign}, {coigne}]
       2: the keystone of an arch [syn: {coign}, {coigne}]
       3: (architecture) solid exterior angle of a building;
          especially one formed by a cornerstone [syn: {corner}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  58 Moby Thesaurus words for "quoin":
     Intertype, L, Linotype, Monotype, angle, apex, bend, bifurcation,
     bight, cant, chevron, coin, cold-type typesetting, composing,
     composing stick, composition, computerized typesetting, corner,
     cornerstone, crank, crook, crotchet, deflection, dogleg, dummy,
     first stone, footstone, fork, foundation stone, furcation,
     furniture, galley chase, headstone, hook, hot-metal typesetting,
     imposition, inflection, justification, keystone, knee, layout,
     line of type, nook, photocomposition, photosetting,
     phototypesetter, phototypesetting machine, point, setting, slug,
     swerve, typesetting, typesetting machine, veer, vertex, zag, zig,
     zigzag