ENCOIGNURE  , in

furniture, literally the angle, or return, formed by the junction of two walls . The word is now chiefly used to designate a small armoire, commode, cabinet or cup-board made to fit a corner; a chaise encoignure is called in English a three-cornered chair . In its origin the thing, like the word, is French, and the delightful Louis Quinze or Louis Seize encoignure in lacquer or in mahogany elaborately mounted in gilded bronze is not the least alluring piece of the great period of French furniture . It was made in a vast variety of forms so far as the front was concerned; in other respects it was strictly limited by its destination . As a rule these delicate and dainty receptacles were in pairs and placed in opposite angles; more often than not the top was formed of a slab of coloured marble . ENCYCLICAL (from Late Lat. encyclicus, for encyclius=Gr . EyK(MKX oS, from iv and KUKXOS, " a circle "), an ecclesiastical epistle intended for general circulation, now almost exclusively used of such letters issued by the pope . The forms encyclica and encyclic are sometimes, but more rarely, used .