We were a weary, well-traveled crew of parents, administrators, and eighth grade students, trudging through the polished halls of the US Capitol. Our guide led us into the domed “Rotunda” room, filled with statues and paintings of our Founding Fathers, and firmly instructed us to “stand to the right of the stanchion.” Well, if The Word Nerd didn’t know what a stanchion was, I’m sure the eighth graders didn’t.
Luckily, we figured out where to gather. But I had to follow-up.
If you like to learn about new words, join the Wondrous Words Wednesday meme at Bermuda Onion. Bloggers share words from their reading that have caused them to reach for the dictionary. (Or, more likely, the dictionary app.) 😉
Stanchion \ˈstan-chən\ noun, from French Old French estançon, diminutive of estance: stay, prop
- an upright bar, post, or support (as for a roof or a ship’s deck)
- a device that fits loosely around the neck of an animal (as a cow) and limits forward and backward motion (as in a stall)
Thanks, Merriam-Webster. Now we all know the fancy name for the poles that hold velvet ropes and tell us where to stand or line up.
Here’s another cool picture of stanchions, taken at the State Capital in Richmond, VA.
I didn’t get a picture of the stanchions inside the Capitol, but I got this nice shot on the outside… I believe we can call the poles framing the tulips “stanchions”…
Word Nerd Workout
Can you share other interesting architectural terms, like parapet or buttress?
Thanks for getting nerdy with me today!
I have never heard of this word – so fancy. I’ll still call them poles and ropes, but it’s good to know what they are really called!
I don’t recall ever hearing this word. Are you home yet? Love that you could volunteer – what a trip! Hope you get a nap today!
Carl went with our son to DC and got reprimanded by the guard for having his toes beyond the imaginary line formed by the stanchions at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The kids talked about it for weeks!
I love rotundas!
Nice photos, I knew stanchions.
I like that you learned a new word right there at the seat of government. Another architectural structure that comes to mind are the huge round concrete balls that are placed in front of shopping center entrances to keep people from driving their cars through them. I thought they were called bollocks, but my dictionary says I’m wrong. I’ll come back if I can find the right term.
One that I actually knew~ rare for me on this feature of your blog!
Stanchions make a pretty picture! A few years ago, I did a post featuring ‘pantile’ and ‘ammonite’, also both interesting architectural photos.