fenestration

noun

fen·​es·​tra·​tion ˌfe-nə-ˈstrā-shən How to pronounce fenestration (audio)
1
: the arrangement, proportioning, and design of windows and doors in a building
2
: an opening in a surface (such as a wall or membrane)
3
: the operation of cutting an opening in the bony labyrinth between the inner ear and tympanum to replace natural fenestrae that are not functional

Examples of fenestration in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The revolving doors and complex fenestration made entering the museum crowded and confusing. Dodie Kazanjian, Vogue, 5 Aug. 2024 Mongolian gerbils who receive semicircular canal fenestration in their left inner ears offer a successful animal model for superior semicircular canal dehiscence. Michael W. Clune, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023 Christine Marvin is Chief Marketing + Experience Officer at Marvin, a leading manufacturer of premium fenestration solutions. Christine Marvin, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2023 The fenestration and zigzagging rhythms of dark exposed timbers on a white façade give each house here a personality. Richard B. Woodward, WSJ, 10 Aug. 2022 This process, called fenestration, is more precise than using a saw. Kat McGowan, Discover Magazine, 2 May 2010 With the flip of a switch, the entire upper half of the car deconstructs like an origami swan unfolding, and once the clamshells, flaps and fenestration settle down, a sleek convertible reveals itself. Wesley Tudor, Robb Report, 1 Feb. 2022 They were also tasked with installing the almost 7,000-square-feet of triple-pane, sliding steel thermal doors and windows from famed Italian fenestration experts Brombal. Howard Walker, Robb Report, 14 Dec. 2021 The machines are then able to effortlessly create the fenestration and conduits for doors, windows, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and information technology infrastructure. Jennifer Castenson, Forbes, 23 June 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fenestration was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near fenestration

Cite this Entry

“Fenestration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fenestration. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

fenestration

noun
fen·​es·​tra·​tion ˌfen-ə-ˈstrā-shən How to pronounce fenestration (audio)
1
a
: a natural or surgically created opening in a surface
b
: the presence of such openings
2
: a surgical procedure that involves cutting an opening in the bony labyrinth between the inner ear and tympanum to replace natural fenestrae that are not functional (as in otosclerosis)
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