crow step

9.9

A stepped edge at the top of a wall under a sloping roof

noun

: escalón de cuervo

Many Flemish buildings feature decorative crow steps as part of their traditional architecture.

Examples

Restorers carefully repaired each damaged crow step during the roof's renovation.
The medieval church was notable for its crow steps along the gable end.
The crow step is beautiful.
Look at the crow step!
Many Flemish buildings feature decorative crow steps as part of their traditional architecture.
Restorers carefully repaired each damaged crow step during the roof's renovation.
The medieval church was notable for its crow steps along the gable end.

Synonyms

corbiestep

vscrow step

9.9

A stepped top at the end wall of a house below the roof

is the general term for that same stepped gable feature

corbie-step

vscrow step

9.9

A stepped top on the end wall of a roof that looks like stone stairs

is the general name for that stepped gable without regional emphasis

corbel step

vscrow step

Specialized

9.9

A stone or brick step that sticks out along the sloping edge of a gable wall

is the same stepped gable shape but named without implying material or support

Surface Forms

crow step singular

crow steps plural

Morphology

crow + step

The compound names a specific architectural feature (a stepped gable projection) that cannot be derived from the literal meanings of 'crow' (a bird) and 'step' (a stair tread); the 'crow' element reflects historical/etymological naming rather than a visible relation to the bird. As a specialized, language-specific term, its overall meaning would not be predictable to a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words.

Etymology

The noun crow step may come from the stair-like, stepped shape at the top edge of a wall under a sloping roof. One popular story says each little step looked like a place a crow could land, so the name came to mean that stepped top of a wall.