coign

coign
noun /kɔɪn/
a) A projecting corner or angle.

, 1922, Kind air defined the coigns of houses in Kildare street. — James Joyce, Ulysses

b) A wedge used in typesetting

, 1936, this snug monastic coign, this dreamy and heatless alcove of what we call the best of thought. - William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom!!


Wikipedia foundation.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Coign — (koin), n. A var. spelling of {Coin}, {Quoin}, a corner, wedge; chiefly used in the phrase coign of vantage, a position advantageous for action or observation. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] From some shielded nook or coign of vantage. The Century.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • coign — archaic spelling of QUOIN (Cf. quoin) (q.v.), surviving only in Shakespeare s coign of vantage ( Macbeth I.vi.), popularized by Sir Walter Scott, properly a projecting corner (for observation) …   Etymology dictionary

  • coign — [kɔɪn] noun a projecting corner or angle of a wall. Phrases coign of vantage literary a favourable position for observation or action. Origin ME: var. of coin …   English new terms dictionary

  • coign — /kɔɪn/ (say koyn) noun Also, coigne. 1. → quoin. –phrase 2. coign of vantage, a good place from which to observe events. {variant of coin (def. 3) …  

  • coign — n. Phrases and idioms: coign of vantage a favourable position for observation or action. Etymology: earlier spelling of COIN in the sense cornerstone …   Useful english dictionary

  • coign of vantage — [koin] n. [coign, archaic var. of coin(QUOIN)] an advantageous position for observation or action …   English World dictionary

  • coign of vantage — coign′ of van′tage [[t]kɔɪn[/t]] n. a favorable position • Etymology: 1595–1605 …   From formal English to slang

  • coign of vantage — a position advantageous for action or observation from the coign of vantage which the present age affords … we will … retell the history of Christianity K.S.Latourette * * * a good position for observation, judgment, criticism, action, etc. [1595 …   Useful english dictionary

  • coign of vantage — Etymology: coign, earlier spelling of 1coin (corner) Date: 1605 an advantageous position …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • coign of vantage — literary a favourable position for observation or action. → coign …   English new terms dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”