plinth
noun
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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
Issy Ronald and Catherine Nicholls, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025
However, Turkish officials dispute the museum’s claims, suggesting that the statue does depict Marcus Aurelius—both an emperor and philosopher—and may have been moved around between plinths, per the Times.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2025
In late November, the Iron Horse was set back out to pasture in the cornfield, now in a shiny new coat of black paint, sitting atop a Georgia granite plinth.
—Mary Logan Bikoff, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
The Orbit Theory is a turntable that looks fantastic, with its low profile, solid hardwood plinth.
—Brad Moon, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Plinth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plinth. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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plinth
noun
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