What does "cupola" mean?
A dome-shaped ornamental structure located on top of a larger roof or dome.
Cupola
/ˈkupələ/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A dome-shaped ornamental structure located on top of a larger roof or dome.
- Grammar: cupola is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: antenna tower, apse, arcade, arcature.
- Useful contrasts: flat roof.
- Usage evidence: This is Africa's Sahara Desert, as seen from the International Space Station's new seven-windowed cupola.
How to use "cupola"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cupola" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cupola" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cupola" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cupola" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cupola" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "antenna tower" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cupola", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A dome-shaped ornamental structure located on top of a larger roof or dome.
"the light falling dimly through the foggy cupola."
- 2 a roof in the form of a dome wordnet
- 3 A small turret, usually on a hatch of an armoured fighting vehicle.
- 4 a vertical cylindrical furnace for melting iron for casting wordnet
- 5 An upward-projecting mass of plutonic rock extending from a larger batholith.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A solid formed by joining two polygons, one (the base) with twice as many edges as the other, by an alternating band of isosceles triangles and rectangles.
- 7 A type of furnace used for smelting.
"The cupola has a small cylindrical chimney-like bore that is lined with a refractory material."
- 8 A small cap over a structure that is shaped like a dome or inverted cup.
"the posterior cupola of the cartilaginous nasal capsule"
- 9 a small viewing window in the top of the caboose for looking over the train, or the part of the caboose where one looks through this window. Canada, dated
- 10 A body of members of the Sicilian Mafia who make decisions and settle disputes.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
flat roof
Example
"This is Africa's Sahara Desert, as seen from the International Space Station's new seven-windowed cupola."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cupola"?
Common synonyms include: antenna tower, apse, arcade, arcature, arch, arched roof.
How do you use "cupola" in a sentence?
This is Africa's Sahara Desert, as seen from the International Space Station's new seven-windowed cupola.
How do you pronounce "cupola"?
Pronounced /ˈkupələ/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian cupola, from Latin cūpula (“little tub”); from Latin cūpa, cuppa (“cup”); named for its resemblance to a cup turned over.