Real Estate Glossary
Our glossary is the largest dictionary of real estate and construction terms on the Internet with almost 10,000 definitions.
- Arable
- Land suitable for growing of crops.
- Arabesque
- Complex and elaborate design of intertwined flowers, foliage, patterns, etc. which are painted or carved to use as ornamentation.
- Arbitration
- Dispute resolving method involving a third party decision.
- Arbor
- A latticework structure holding vines or flowers. Alternately, a treed area.
- Arbor Press
- Used to force an arbor or shaft into a hole that was bored into a material so that it can then be fastened into a lathe chuck so that the work can be turned on the lathe.
- Arboretum
- Place where different types of trees and shrubs are grown for exhibition or study.
- Arc
- Any part of a curve. Portion of a circle. Band of sparks or incandescent light formed when an electrical discharge is conducted from one electrode or conducting surface to another.
- Arc Gouging
- Use of an electric arc to shape edges of metal.
- Arc Lamp
- Light which uses an electric arc as the light source, it is also called an arc light.
- Arc Light
- Light which uses an electric arc as the light source, it is also called an arc lamp.
- Arc Strike
- Caused by a strike of an electric welding arc, it is a blemish or surface defect on metal.
- Arc Welding
- A form of metal welding done by using the heat created as an electric arc jumps from an electrode to metal.
- Arcade
- Arches mounted on a series of pillars to form a passageway or walkway. They may be open or roofed and attached to a building or detached
- Arch
- A weight bearing structure, such as over a door, which is curved rather than squared.
- Arch, Back
- Structural support for an interior or veneer wall, which is arch shaped. Exterior support is provided by a lintel.
- Arch Brick
- Wedge-shaped brick, which is normally used when building an arch.
- Arch, Gothic
- Also called a semicircular arch, parabolic arch or Tudor arch, it has a span in excess of six feet, a load capacity of over 1,000 pounds per foot, and a rise-to-span ratio greater than 0.15.
- Arch, Jack
- Also called a flat arch or straight arch, it has a horizontal or almost horizontal top surface.
- Arch, Major
- Also called a semicircular arch, parabolic arch or Tudor arch, it has a span in excess of six feet, a load capacity of over 1,000 pounds per foot, and a rise-to-span ratio greater than 0.15.
- Arch, Minor
- Arch that can support loads up to 1,000pounds per square foot and has a span of up to six feet, with a rise to span ratio of 0.15 or less.
- Arch, Parabolic
- Also called a semicircular arch, parabolic arch or Tudor arch, it has a span in excess of six feet, a load capacity of over 1,000 pounds per foot, and a rise-to-span ratio greater than 0.15.
- Arch Rib
- Projecting raised band or ridge along the line of an arch.
- Arch, Segmented
- Arch that can support loads up to 1,000pounds per square foot and has a span of up to six feet, with a rise to span ratio of 0.15 or less.
- Arch, Semi-Circular
- Also called a semicircular arch, parabolic arch or Tudor arch, it has a span in excess of six feet, a load capacity of over 1,000 pounds per foot, and a rise-to-span ratio greater than 0.15.
- Arch Stone
- Wedge-shaped stone, which is used in building an arch. Also called a voussoir.
- Arch Surrounds
- Decorative, half-round or elliptical trim, used above doors and windows.
- Arch, Trimmer
- Used to support a fireplace hearth, it is a low-ride brick arch.
- Arch, Tudor
- Also called a semicircular arch, parabolic arch or Tudor arch, it has a span in excess of six feet, a load capacity of over 1,000 pounds per foot, and a rise-to-span ratio greater than 0.15.
- Archway
- An arch that frames a passage. A passageway under an arch.
- Architect
- A licensed designer of homes, buildings, and other structures.
- Architect's Punch List
- List of design items needing to be corrected or resolved prior to finalization of a building design.
- Architectural Fees
- The fees charged by an architect for services rendered. Charges range from per square footage, hourly or as a percentage of the projected budget.
- Architrave
- Term used to name the various parts, such as a lintel, jamb and moldings, which surround a window or door. Architrave, in classical architecture, refers to the bottom section of an establature, which is the portion of a building above a column.
- Area
- Two-dimensional, circumscribed space having measurable dimensions. Unoccupied plot of land. A building site or area around a building.
- Area Drain
- Method of collecting water runoff from an area in a receptacle.
- Area Wall
- Basement window, retaining wall, located below grade.
- Areaway
- Below grade, open space, which allows light or access to a basement door or window.
- ARES
- see American Real Estate Society.
- Argon
- Inert gas with the atomic symbol Ar, atomic number 18, and the atomic weight of 39.948.
- ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgage)
- Loans with a periodically adjustable interest rate, reflecting the changes in a specific financial index. see also adjustable rate mortgage.
- ARM Index
- The index used to adjust the interest rates on adjustable rate mortgages. T-bills or prime rate are usually used for this index, which is not controlled by individual lenders.
- Arm's Length Transaction
- Transaction between unrelated entities or individuals acting in their own interest.
- Armature
- A laminated core of conductive material, such as copper, with insulated wire wound around it, in multiple layers, in which electromotive force is produced by magnetic induction in a generator or motor; usually a revolving part, but in an alternating current machine, it is often stationery. Basically generators convert mechanical energy into electrical energy while motors convert electrical energy into mechanical energy as it rotates. They both work by electrical conductors, which pass through the lines of magnetic force and are carried on the surface of the armature. Armatures are either fixed or rotating. The field will be stationary if the armature rotates as in DC machines. The field will be rotating if the armature is stationary as in AC machines.
- Armor
- Defensive or protective covering.
- Armored Cable
- Flexible, spiral wound outer covering with insulated electrical wiring inside.
- Arnott Valve
- Located at the top of a room or space, a one-way or check valve is operated by gravity, permitting the escape of air from that space.
- Arpent
- Measurement of land equal to .846625 acres (French)
- Array
- Tax assessor term describing a certain category of properties sold with a given amount of time.
- Arrears
- Late or overdue payments and are in default.
- Arrester
- Wire-mesh screen protecting a fuel tank vent from flame propagation or covering an outlet to prevent sparks from escaping a heat or spark-producing source, such as an incinerator or chimney.
- Arris
- Formed edge when two surfaces join.
- Arris Fillet
- Wood strip which runs along a roof at the eave line to raise the end of the first course of shingles, tiles or other roof covering so that water will run off the edge of the roof.
- Arroyo
- Dry ravine, found in arid areas, and formed by water runoff. Not suitable for building as they are prone to flooding with significant rainfall.
- Artesian Well
- Drilled well with water rising through the opening due to naturally occurring water pressure and not using the pipe usually inserted into the outlet to control the water flow.
- Artisan
- Craftsman.
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