Westwork
//ˈwɛstwɜːk// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The vaulted monumental structure at the western end of a church constructed in some medieval styles, flanked by two towers and containing the entrance.
"Facing the raised sanctuary over the vast crypt they also often erected at the west end of the nave a towerlike structure with vaulted stories, that we call the "westwork.""
Example
More examples"Facing the raised sanctuary over the vast crypt they also often erected at the west end of the nave a towerlike structure with vaulted stories, that we call the "westwork.""
Etymology
Calque of German Westwerk, from German West (“west”) + Werk (“work”); equivalent to English west + -work.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.