Plural of flying; multiple instances or acts of flight, or architectural braces that extend outward to support walls or structures.
Plural form of 'flying,' the present participle of 'fly.' In architecture, 'flying' refers to unsupported extensions, so 'flyings' describes multiple such supports. The term has been in architectural use since the Middle English period.
Flying buttresses—which contain these 'flyings'—were revolutionary medieval engineering that allowed cathedrals to soar impossibly high! By pushing the weight outward and downward, architects freed interior walls, creating those breathtaking vertical spaces in Gothic churches.
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