plinth

noun

ˈplin(t)th

Synonyms of plinth next

: the lowest member of a base : subbase

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

: a usually square block serving as a base

broadly : any of various bases or lower parts

: 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 Meanwhile, in the southwest corner of the cemetery, a solid square plinth, a few feet to one side and higher than my head, dwarfs the neighboring headstones. —

Colin Dickey, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2023 Priyanka Chopra Jonas & Nick Jonas on Their Jeweled Met Gala Looks Warda (2023), another bronze piece, sits on a plinth in the gallery’s small side room. —

Grace Edquist, Vogue, 10 Nov. 2023 Four Tetris block-like modular wood plinths are available in white oak, mahogany or walnut; they can be arranged into various configurations to display objects or help break up a space. —

John Wogan Laura Bannister Tariro Mzezewa Elissa Suh Dana Covit Jameson Montgomery, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2023 The sculptural ceiling stretches across the sales floor and a trio of geometric plinths, two that display and store D.S. & Durga merchandise and another that serves as a formal point of sale. —

Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 8 Sep. 2023 One plinth used to hold a statue of Lenin, typical for any Ukrainian city: tall, gray, ugly, constantly soiled by pigeons that left their white traces. —

Haiane Avakian, The Atlantic, 27 Sep. 2023 Each niche frames a plinth and is in turn framed by a pair of robust columns two stories high. —

Roberta Smith, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2023 Two of the display plinths have striated concrete surfaces that conjure the organic feel of rammed earth, a move that’s recognizable from D.S. & Durga’s Brooklyn branch. —

Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 8 Sep. 2023 It was bolted to a tall plinth, lit up at night, fenced off and adjacent to a busy state highway. —

oregonlive, 3 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plinth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.