corb

n. [ Heb. qorbān, akin to Ar. qurbān. ] 1. (Jewish Antiq.) An offering of any kind, devoted to God and therefore not to be appropriated to any other use; esp., an offering in fulfillment of a vow. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the old Testament the hebrew word is usually translated “oblation” as in Numb. xviii. 9, xxxi. 50. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The traditionists laid down that a man might interdict himself by vow, not only from using for himself, but from giving to another, or receiving from him, some particular object, whether of food or any other kind. A person might thus exempt himself from assisting parents in distress, under plea of corban. Dr. W. Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An alms basket; a vessel to receive gifts of charity; a treasury of the church, where offerings are deposited. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OF. corbe, fr. L. curvus. See Cuve. ] Crooked. [ Obs. ] “Corbe shoulder.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. corbeille, fr. L. corbicula a little basket, dim. of corbis basket. Cf. Corbel, Corb, Corvette. ] 1. (Arch.) A sculptured basket of flowers; a corbel. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. (Fort.) Small gabions. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. corbeau, for older corbel, dim. of L. corbis basket. (Corbels were often in the form of a basket.) See Corbeil. ] (Arch.) A bracket supporting a superincumbent object, or receiving the spring of an arch. Corbels were employed largely in Gothic architecture. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ A common form of corbel consists of courses of stones or bricks, each projecting slightly beyond the next below it. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To furnish with a corbel or corbels; to support by a corbel; to make in the form of a corbel. [ 1913 Webster ]

To corbel out, to furnish with a corbel of courses, each projecting beyond the one next below it. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ }, n. Corbel work or the construction of corbels; a series of corbels or piece of continuous corbeled masonry, sometimes of decorative purpose, as in the stalactite ornament of the Moslems. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. (Arch.) A horizontal row of corbels, with the panels or filling between them; also, less properly used to include the stringcourse on them. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Arch.) One of the steps in which a gable wall is often finished in place of a continuous slope; -- also called crowstep. [ 1913 Webster ]