trident

1 of 2

noun

tri·​dent ˈtrī-dᵊnt 

1

: a 3-pronged spear serving in classical mythology as the attribute of a sea god (such as Neptune)

2

: a 3-pronged spear (as for fishing)

trident

2 of 2

adjective

: having three teeth, processes, or points

Did you know?

A trident has three prongs or teeth, as the root dent, "tooth", tells us. The trident has long been used to spear fish in different parts of the world, so there's no mystery about why the Greek sea god Poseidon and his Roman counterpart Neptune both carry a trident as their symbol. In some gladiator exhibitions in ancient Rome, one gladiator, called a retiarius ("net man"), would be equipped as though he were a fisherman, with a weighted net and a trident; with his net he would snare his sword-wielding opponent, and with his trident he would spear his helpless foe.

Examples of trident in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Hoosiers can hunt frogs with bow and arrows, clubs, some firearms, or simply, their hands, but Plumier teaches those gathered at Goose Pond how to use gigs — long, multi-pronged spears that look a little bit like tridents. —Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 9 Sep. 2025

Among them were horseshoes, nails, axes, a fishing trident, coins and keys, officials said. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025

Adjective

Each of the shafts opened to a trident shape at the top, according to a June 26 Pentagon briefing. —Samuel Granados, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025

Naturally, Nintendo consoles always launch with some sort of gimmick, from R.O.B. on the NES to the N64’s trident analog controller, and the Switch 2 continues this tradition with its ability to turn any Joy-Con 2 into a computer-style mouse. —Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin trident-, tridens, from trident-, tridens having three teeth, from tri- + dent-, dens tooth — more at tooth

Adjective

Latin trident-, tridens

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1589, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for trident

• strident

Kids Definition

trident

noun

tri·​dent

ˈtrīd-ᵊnt

: a spear with three prongs

trident adjective

Etymology

Noun

from Latin trident-, tridens "trident," from tridens (adjective) "having three teeth," from tri- "three" and dens "tooth" — related to dental