Pendent

Pendent is an adjective that describes the condition of hanging, either literally, or figuratively,[1] as in undecided or incomplete.

Something pendent may be viewed as any member of a support system (e.g. a section of a dome or, organically, a parent/guardian in a nuclear family).

[citation needed] A pendent component of a structure or system requires one or more of the same as itself to be functional.

Likewise the segments of certain types of dome rely upon each other for support, as do the individual blocks or timber frames which make up a dome whether segmented or not.

In the construction of arches and domes, the pendent condition commonly leads to special requirements for timber centring or similar expedients during construction: when the structure is completed it becomes self-supporting and the temporary structure can be removed.