plinth

noun \ ˈplin(t)th \

Definition of plinth

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 was our Word of the Day on 08/27/2016. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of plinth from the Web

For years, Czech officials have debated what to do with the plinth once supporting a statue of Joseph Stalin that weighed 17,000 metric tons, destroyed in 1962 as the communist party line turned against the Soviet dictator.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "In German village, church bell still tolls for Hitler," 19 Aug. 2017
Down go all ten of the plinths, taking the art with them.

— raisa bruner, PEOPLE.com, "Watch a Woman Accidentally Ruin $200,000 Worth of Art While Posing for a Great Selfie," 14 July 2017
Down go all ten of the plinths, taking the art with them.

— raisa bruner, Time, "Watch a Woman Accidentally Ruin $200,000 Worth of Art While Posing for a Great Selfie," 14 July 2017
The monument fell from its plinth after being struck and broken into multiple pieces on the ground.

— leada gore, AL.com, "'God's Not Dead' producers donate $25,000 to replace Arkansas 10 Commandments monument," 10 July 2017
The man putting it on a plinth was Chinese, Mr. Mugane noted.

— kimiko de freytas-tamura, New York Times, "Kenyans Fear Chinese-Backed Railway Is Another ‘Lunatic Express’," 8 June 2017
The monument was protected in bubble wrap, attached to a crane and lifted off its plinth.

— alexander smith, NBC News, "New Orleans Removes Confederate President Jefferson Davis Statue," 11 May 2017
The controversial monument to the Confederate president was removed from its plinth in New Orleans amid tight security.

— NBC News, "Jefferson Davis Statue Removed in Front of Jeering and Cheering Crowd," 11 May 2017
While Calle was on hand over the opening weekend to inaugurate the piece herself, for the next 25 years, visitors are welcome to write down their most intimate secrets on slips of paper and deposit them into a slot in the plinth.

— andrea whittle, Condé Nast Traveler, "5 Under-the-Radar Art Shows in NYC to Check Out Now," 5 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'plinth.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.

Origin and Etymology of plinth

Latin plinthus, from Greek plinthos

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1563

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Other Architecture Terms

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

PLINTH Defined for English Language Learners

plinth

noun

Definition of plinth for English Language Learners

: a block of stone or wood that is used as the base for a pillar, statue, etc.

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Britannica English: Translation of plinth for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about plinth

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plinth

Definition of plinth

plinth was our Word of the Day on 08/27/2016. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of plinth from the Web

plinth and Architecture

Origin and Etymology of plinth

Other Architecture Terms

PLINTH Defined for English Language Learners

plinth

Definition of plinth for English Language Learners

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