A groove or fluting running lengthwise along an object, especially a decorative pattern on columns, bullets, or shafts.
From French 'cannelure,' derived from 'canneler' (to groove), which comes from 'canne' (cane or groove). The term entered English in the 18th century describing architectural and decorative grooves.
Cannelure is why ancient Greek columns look like they have vertical ridges—it's both structural and beautiful, a design choice that has been elegant for thousands of years!
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