antefix

noun

an·​te·​fix ˈan-ti-ˌfiks 

plural antefixae ˈan-ti-ˌfik-ˌsē  or antefixes ˈan-ti-ˌfik-səz 

: an ornament at the eaves of a classical building concealing the ends of the joint tiles of the roof

Examples of antefix in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The blueprints showed that these rooftop decorations, known as antefixes, were in fact baseballs, ornaments that echoed the baseball-adorned terra-cotta spandrels above the pilasters. —John Freeman Gill, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Latin antefixum, from neuter of antefixus, past participle of antefigere to fasten before, from ante- + figere to fasten — more at fix

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above