apses
|ap-ses|
/æps/
(apse)
arched recess behind altar
Etymology
'apse' (and related forms) originates from Latin, specifically the word 'apsis', where 'apsis' meant 'arch' or 'vault'.
'apse' changed from medieval Latin 'apsis' (borrowed from Greek) and via Old French (apse) into Middle English as 'apse', producing the modern English 'apse' (plural 'apses'); the specialized astronomical term 'apsis' also derives from the same Greek/Latin root and yielded plural forms such as 'apsides' (and occasionally 'apses').
Initially it meant 'arch' or 'vault' (Greek 'ápsis'); over time it came to denote specifically the architectural recess in a church ('apse'), while the related Latin/Greek term was also applied in astronomy to mean the extremities of an orbit ('apsis' → 'apsides'/'apses').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'apse': semicircular or polygonal recess, typically at the east end of a church and often containing the altar.
The cathedral's apses were richly decorated with mosaics.
Synonyms
Noun 2
plural form of 'apsis' (also spelled 'apsides' or sometimes 'apses'): the points in an orbit at greatest or least distance from the central body (e.g., periapsis and apoapsis).
Engineers calculated the satellite's apses precisely before launch.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/28 16:06