In architecture, a pilaster or rectangular column projecting from a wall, often used to frame doorways or mark structural divisions.
From Latin anta, meaning 'pilaster' or 'projection,' of uncertain origin but possibly related to Etruscan sources or Indo-European roots meaning 'to stretch' or 'to extend.'
Ancient Roman and Greek architects used antas to create optical illusions—by placing them at corners, they could make buildings look more balanced and perfect to the human eye, even when they weren't mathematically exact!
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