mullion
mullion Lexical Profile
mullion Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A heavy vertical bar or structural member that separates adjacent window units, screens, or doors.
"The ancient gothic cathedral featured towering stained-glass windows divided by intricately carved stone mullions."
• verb
To provide or divide an architectural opening, such as a window, with vertical structural bars.
"The architect decided to mullion the expansive glass facade to provide both aesthetic rhythm and essential structural support."
Word Nuance & Usage
Frequently confused in architecture with a 'muntin'; a mullion is the heavier vertical framing member that separates complete window units, whereas a muntin is the smaller inner strip separating individual panes of glass within a single sash.
• Rhymes for mullion
Word Origin & Etymology
Late 16th century: alteration of the earlier architectural term 'monial', possibly influenced by the French word 'moignon', meaning a stump or severed limb.