pedestal

¹ped·es·tal

noun \ˈpe-dəs-t^əl\

Definition of PEDESTAL

1

a : the support or foot of a late classic or neoclassic column — see column illustration

b : the base of an upright structure

2

: base, foundation

3

: a position of esteem

Examples of PEDESTAL

1. the pedestal of a vase

Origin of PEDESTAL

Middle French piedestal, from Old Italian piedestallo, from pie di stallo foot of a stall

First Known Use: 1563

Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

²pedestal

transitive verb

pedestaled or pedestalledpedestal·ing or pedestal·ling

Definition of PEDESTAL

: to place on or furnish with a pedestal

First Known Use of PEDESTAL

1648

pedestal

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

In Classical architecture, a support or base for a column, statue, vase, or obelisk. It may be square, octagonal, or circular. A single pedestal may also support a group of columns, or colonnade (see podium). The pedestal, which was first employed by Roman architects, consists (from bottom to top) of three parts: the plinth, the dado (or die), and the cornice (or cap).