oeil de boeuf
- noun
- /ˌweɪl də ˈbɜːf/
- Specialized
:
ojo de buey
- The restoration brought back the original stained-glass oeil de boeuf that had been bricked over for years.
Examples
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The grand hallway was illuminated by a single oeil de boeuf high above the entryway.
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Many Parisian buildings from the Baroque period feature an oeil de boeuf above the main doors.
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Look at that oeil de boeuf!
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The oeil de boeuf added charm to the old mansion.
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Many Parisian buildings from the Baroque period feature an oeil de boeuf above the main doors.
-
The grand hallway was illuminated by a single oeil de boeuf high above the entryway.
-
The restoration brought back the original stained-glass oeil de boeuf that had been bricked over for years.
Synonyms
A small round window in a roof that lets light into the room
How Small
Surface Forms
Morphology
oeil + de + boeuf
The literal constituents 'oeil' (eye) + 'de' (of) + 'boeuf' (ox) produce 'ox's eye', which conveys a small round shape but does not directly name a window in an obviously compositional way for learners. Because the phrase is a metaphorical/historical architectural term (and has cognates like Spanish 'ojo de buey'/'olho de boi') there is partial predictability from form and shape, but the specific meaning 'small round/oval window' is not fully derivable without prior exposure.
Etymology
The noun oeil de boeuf comes from French words oeil and boeuf, which mean 'eye' and 'ox'. Because these small round or oval windows looked like an ox's eye, people called them oeil de boeuf, so today it means a small round or oval window.