Hypertext Webster Gateway: "soffit"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Soffit \Sof"fit\, n. [It. soffitta, soffitto, fr. soffiggere to
hide, properly, to fix or fasten under, L. suffigere to
fasten beneath or below; sub under, beneath + figere to fix,
faste: cf. F. soffite.] (Arch.)
The under side of the subordinate parts and members of
buildings, such as staircases, entablatures, archways,
cornices, or the like. See Illust. of {Lintel}.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
soffit
n : the underside of a part of a building (such as an arch or
overhang or beam etc.)
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