imbrex

imbrex, in ancient Greek and Roman architecture, a raised roofing tile used to cover the joint between the flat tiles. Used in a series, they formed continuous ridges over the aligned flat tiles.

Imbrices were generally of two types. In the more commonly used form the tile was approximately semicircular, and in the monumental marble examples the imbrex had vertical sides and an angular top. At the lower end of each row of imbrex tiles was an antefix, or decorative terminal.