ogive

IPA/ˈəʊ.dʒaɪv/
IPA/ˈoʊ.dʒaɪv/

ogive — noun

  • ogivesingular
  • ogivesplural

1. a diagonal stone rib that crosses the inside of a Gothic vault, rising to meet o

1.nounC2
Definition

a diagonal stone rib that crosses the inside of a Gothic vault, rising to meet other ribs at the ceiling's highest point and forming part of the roof support structure.

Example

The ogives in Notre-Dame de Paris spread outward from the centre of the vault like the ribs of an umbrella.

ogive + in [building name] for location reference

Anong traced her fingers along the stone ogive where two pointed arches crossed inside the cathedral.

animate subject: person tracing an ogive

Common collocations
  • stone ogive
  • ogive of the vault
  • crossing ogive
  • ogive ribs
Synonyms
  • rib

    a broader term; every ogive is a rib, but not every rib is an ogive

  • diagonal rib

    the precise architectural term; interchangeable with ogive in this sense

Usage Note

This sense is restricted to Gothic architecture and almost never appears outside descriptions of medieval church buildings.

Common Mistakes

The ogive of the doorway was decorated with carvings.
The ogive in the vault was decorated with carvings.
an ogive is a rib inside a vault, not an arch over a doorway.

2. a pointed arch with sides that curve inward as they rise, coming together at a s

2.nounC2
Definition

a pointed arch with sides that curve inward as they rise, coming together at a sharp point at the summit. This shape is typical of Gothic cathedrals and church doorways.

Example

The main entrance of the abbey is framed by a tall ogive made of pale limestone.

ogive + made of + material

Diego pointed out how the ogive above the window directed the weight downward through slender columns.

ogive + above + [building feature]

Common collocations
  • tall ogive
  • ogive window
  • ogive doorway
  • carved ogive
Synonyms
  • pointed arch

    the more general term; an ogive is a type of pointed arch

  • Gothic arch

    emphasises the architectural style; often used interchangeably with ogive

Antonyms
  • round arch

    a semicircular arch used in Romanesque and Classical architecture

Usage Note

Often used interchangeably with 'pointed arch' in non-technical writing, but in strict architectural terminology an ogive is a specific type of pointed arch formed by two intersecting curves.

Common Mistakes

A Roman aqueduct uses an ogive for its arches.
A Gothic cathedral uses an ogive for its arches.
ogives are characteristic of Gothic architecture, not Roman.

3. a line graph that shows the total number or proportion of data points that fall

3.nounC2
Definition

a line graph that shows the total number or proportion of data points that fall at or below each value, used to display how data accumulates across a range.

Example

The ogive of test scores showed that 70 percent of students scored below 75 points.

ogive + of + [data set] + shows + [finding]

Minh drew an ogive on the board to illustrate how the company's quarterly sales accumulated over the year.

animate subject + draw an ogive

Common collocations
  • cumulative frequency ogive
  • ogive of the data
  • plot an ogive
  • ogive curve
Synonyms

Usage Note

In statistics, 'ogive' is nearly always paired with 'cumulative frequency'; the phrase 'cumulative frequency ogive' is very common in textbooks.

Common Mistakes

The ogive shows how many students got each individual score.
The ogive shows how many students scored at or below each value.
an ogive plots cumulative totals, not individual frequencies.

Word family

  • ogival
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Ogive, pointed arch, Gothic arch, and lancet arch all describe arches that rise to a point rather than a curve, but they differ in specificity. 'Pointed arch' is the broadest term, covering any arch with a pointed crown regardless of style. 'Gothic arch' links the shape to the medieval Gothic building tradition and is widely understood by non-specialists. 'Ogive' is the most precise architectural term, referring specifically to a pointed arch formed by two intersecting circular curves; it is common in restoration and academic writing. 'Lancet arch' is a narrow, tall pointed arch with no inward curve at the sides, typical of Early English Gothic. If you are describing the main doorway of a cathedral, 'ogive' or 'Gothic arch' both work, but for a general description of a church window shape, 'pointed arch' is clearer to most readers.

ogivepointed archGothic archlancet arch

Common collocations

Nouns

  • stone ogive
  • vault ogive
  • limestone ogive

Phrases

  • cumulative frequency ogive
  • plot an ogive

Prepositions

  • ogive of
  • ogive in
  • ogive above

Etymology

Medieval LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'ogive' comes from French 'augive' (a diagonal arch), which in turn traces back to Medieval Latin 'augiva'. It entered English in the early 18th century as a term for the diagonal ribs of Gothic vaults. In the 19th century it was extended to describe any pointed arch of the Gothic style, and in the 20th century statisticians adopted it for the S-shaped curve of a cumulative frequency graph, because the shape reminded them of the pointed arch profile.

First known use

13th century

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a