Vo-lūte′, n.
n. [Fr. volute, It., Sp., & Lat. voluta, from Lat. volvere, volutum, to roll.]
Sense 1. (Arch.) A kind of spiral scroll, used in the Ionic and Composite capitals, of which it is a principal ornament. Corinthian. Ionic. Volutes of Ionian and Corinthian Capitals. ☞ The number of volutes in the Ionic order is four; in the Composite, eight. There are also eight angular volutes in the Corinthian capital, accompanied with eight smaller ones, called helices.
Sense 2. (Nat. Hist.) A mollusk of the genus Voluta, having a spiral, unilocular shell, with the pillar or columella plaited, and prized for its beauty and rarity. P. Cyc.
