: a usually foliated ornament forming an upper extremity especially in Gothic architecture
2
: a crowning ornament or detail (such as a decorative knob)
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebThe President, the Vice President, and many federal agencies use an eagle finial. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2022 Highlights of the exhibition include reconstructions of a sixth-century B.C.E. marble sphinx finial, whose wings feature red-and-blue feathers and gilded embellishments, and a fifth-century B.C.E. archer’s torso wrapped in gold foil. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2022 One finial, or spire top, plummeted hundreds of feet into a shrub below, while two others also broke off their spires.Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2021 Anyone who helps return the Napoleonic eagle finial will receive a separate $100,000 reward. Nora Mcgreevy, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Apr. 2021 The racks were so tall in one corner that the finial of an ornate chandelier cleared it by inches.New York Times, 4 Mar. 2021 On the Mulan tower, architectural elements like a cherry blossom motif, jade ornamentation, and crossed golden spears symbolize Mulan’s fearless warrior spirit—and the dragon Mushu playfully stands atop her tower, using her finial as a gong. Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Dec. 2020 The Frozen tower, for instance, features an icy blue shingled roof reminiscent of Elsa’s magical powers and is topped with a three-dimensional snowflake finial. Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Dec. 2020 Callahan regards his work re-carving the old finial crafted by one of the cathedral’s early carvers as a valuable learning experience. Marjorie Hunt, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 July 2020 See More