molding projecting from the face of the wall, immediately above an arch or opening whose curvature or outline it follows. The hoodmold, which originated during the Romanesque period to protect carved moldings and to direct rainwater away from the opening, was later developed into an important decorative feature. It appears almost universally over exterior arches in the Gothic architecture of France, Germany, and Spain; and in England it was commonly used in interior work, especially for nave arcades.