plinth

noun

ˈplin(t)th 

1

a

: the lowest member of a base : subbase

b

: a block upon which the moldings of an architrave or trim are stopped at the bottom

2

: a usually square block serving as a base

broadly : any of various bases or lower parts

3

: a course of stones forming a continuous foundation or base course

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Plinth and Architecture

"These ivy-clad arcades — / These mouldering plinths ... are they all — / All of the famed, and the colossal left…?" In these lines from "The Coliseum," Edgar Allan Poe alludes to a practical feature of classical architecture. The plinth serves the important purpose of raising the base of the column it supports above the ground, thus protecting it from dampness and mold. The humble plinth is usually a mere thick block. It's humbly named, too, for the Greek word plinthos means simply "tile" or "brick." English writers have used plinth, a shortened version of the Latin form plinthus, since the mid-16th century. The word's meaning was later extended to bases for statues, vases, or busts.

Examples of plinth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Surrounding the basin, which would have been filled with water, is a complex system of drainage channels; at its center is a square plinth that may have supported a statue of the local deity Pelusius. —Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 19 Apr. 2026

Slowly, my vision expands to include the gray-veined white marble plinth on which the throne rests. —Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026

Within 90 minutes of the San Fernando City Council voting to get rid of its Chávez monument, the statuary had been bagged up, hoisted off its plinth and whisked away. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026

And what if the base for the head is a plinth in the shape of a cardboard box? —K. Desbouis, Artforum, 6 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin plinthus, from Greek plinthos

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for plinth

• synth
• hyacinth
• labyrinth

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Kids Definition

plinth

noun

ˈplin(t)th 

1

: the lowest part of the base of an architectural column

2

: a block used as a base (as for a vase)