Friable

Etymology
Middle French, from Latin friare (to crumble)

Adjective

Easily crumbled or pulverized*

Many years had gone by but her former innocence had rendered her too friable; change had been her only means of survival.

*Webster's New Collegiate, 1981 ed

Eidolon

Etymology
Greek, eidōlon

Noun (plural -lons, -la)

An unsubstantial image, phantom; IDEAL*

She was whimsical and full of fancy once; standing again in the house that had embodied the eidolon of her most cherished childhood notions, she almost believed she could be again.

*Webster's New Collegiate, 1981 ed

Deliquesce

Etymology
Latin deliquescere

Intransitive Verb (-quesced, -quescing)

-to melt away, dissolve*

Like the snow in Spring, her days seemed to deliquesce one after another with a rapidity that astonished her.

*Websters New Collegiate, 1981 ed

Caesura

(si zhur ah)

Etymology
Latin caedere

Noun (plural caesuras, caesurae)

A break in the flow of sound in the middle of a line of verse; a pause marking a rhythmic point of division in a melody.*

The teacup at her lips, she breathed in the pungent bergamot as the welcome caesura of calm slowly spread through her limbs.

*from Webster's New Collegiate, 1981 ed

Balustrade

Etymology
Ancient Greek βαλαύστιον (balaustion)

Noun (plural balustrades)

A row of balusters topped by a rail, serving as an open parapet, as along the edge of a balcony, terrace, bridge, staircase or the eaves of a building. *

Maria ran her hand along the smooth surface of the balustrade reflecting on the effect of time and touch on it's surface.

*from wiktionary

Abaculus

Etymology
latin, diminutive of abacus.
Noun
(singular) abaculus
(plural) abaculi

-(archaic) A small tile of glass, marble, or other substance, of various colors, used in making ornamental patterns in mosaic pavements. - Fairholt*

*from wiktionary entry

I would like to have an entire mosaic patio, inlaid with many-colored abaculi.