A column whose shaft is articulated by repeated vertical concave grooves.
A column with vertical concave channels, called flutes, carved along the shaft.
Sculptor’s note: Fluting strengthens the perception of verticality and gives a column a changing rhythm of light and shadow. The number, depth, profile, and termination of the flutes vary among classical orders; Doric flutes typically meet at sharp arrises, while Ionic and Corinthian flutes are commonly separated by narrow fillets.
Etymology
Flute derives through Old French flaut or flaute; architectural “fluting” refers to the channel-like grooves cut into a shaft.
Sculptor Notes
Fluting strengthens the perception of verticality and gives a column a changing rhythm of light and shadow. The number, depth, profile, and termination of the flutes vary among classical orders; Doric flutes typically meet at sharp arrises, while Ionic and Corinthian flutes are commonly separated by narrow fillets.