coign

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   archaic spelling of quoin: an external corner or projecting angle of a wall, especially one emphasized with contrasting masonry

   Pale stone blocks marked each coign of the brick facade.

2. 2
   noun

   a wedge or expanding device used to lock type securely in a printer's chase

   The printer tightened the coign before lifting the locked forme.

3. 3
   noun

   rare: the keystone of an arch

   The carved coign held the central stones of the arch in place.

A historical spelling of quoin, from Old French coin, 'corner or wedge,' ultimately from Latin cuneus, 'wedge.' The shape links its architectural senses with the printer's expanding wedge. Shakespeare's phrase 'coign of vantage' helped preserve the archaic spelling.

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External links

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