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
Faye Bradley, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
The brilliant white plinth undergoes seven grinding and polishing stages to achieve its glass-smooth finish.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2025
The sculpture is not large, measuring 7-feet wide and standing 6-foot-6 inches high without a plinth.
—Eric Adler
august 17, Kansas City Star, 17 Aug. 2025
An inscription on the plinth read: Author, Poet, Scholar, Soldier, Jurist Orator, Philanthropist, Philosopher.
—Owen Clarke, Outside, 6 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Plinth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plinth. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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plinth
noun
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