Meanings
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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.
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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.
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3
noun
rare: the keystone of an arch
The carved coign held the central stones of the arch in place.
Thesaurus
Etymology
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.