nave
nave Lexical Profile
nave Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The central, main longitudinal part of a church building, intended to accommodate most of the congregation and extending from the main entrance to the transepts or chancel.
"Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, illuminating the stone pillars along the cathedral's spacious nave."
The central block or hub of a wheel through which the axle passes and into which the spokes are fitted.
"The wheelwright carefully carved the wooden nave before fitting the oak spokes into place."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'nave' (the central aisle of a church) with its homophone 'knave' (a dishonest person or scoundrel, or the jack in a deck of playing cards).
• Rhymes for nave
Word Origin & Etymology
The architectural sense derives via Old French from Medieval Latin 'navis' (meaning 'ship'), reflecting the traditional Christian symbol of the Church as a ship carrying the faithful and the visual resemblance of a vaulted church roof to an overturned hull; the wheel-hub sense comes separately from Old English 'nafu', related to 'navel'.