A small tooth-shaped ornament or architectural detail, particularly small rectangular blocks used as decoration in classical architecture.
From Italian 'dentello,' diminutive of 'dente' (tooth), which comes from Latin 'dens.' The term refers to decorative elements in cornices and moldings that resemble tiny teeth in a row.
If you look closely at classical Greek and Roman buildings (or modern buildings imitating them), you'll see rows of these little rectangular blocks under the roofline—they're called dentelli and were both practical supports and decorative elements!
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