trident

noun

tri·dent | \ ˈtrī-dᵊnt

Definition of trident

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

adjective

Definition of trident (Entry 2 of 2)

: having three teeth, processes, or points

Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about trident

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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

His trident can summon lightning, control the sea itself and even pierce the man of steel’s skin. — WSJ, "Aquaman Haters Miss What Makes the Merman Great," 19 Dec. 2018 Apparently Orm wants to use a magic trident to bring Atlantis back to the surface and declare war on the human race. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Hang on to your magical tridents, the final Aquaman trailer is here," 20 Nov. 2018 Finally, in the film’s third act, Mera and Aquaman, while traveling to find the magic trident, catch up with Manta in Sicily, defeat him, break his helmet, and throw him into the ocean. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "Aquaman’s post-credits scene, explained," 21 Dec. 2018 The bolstered, 12-way-adjustable sport seats are black leather trimmed with red stitching, and the head rests are embossed with the Maserati trident. — Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, "Classic Maserati with a pinch of Chrysler: The Levante S GranSport, reviewed," 8 June 2018 Tall women in red devil outfits brandished their tridents. — George Vecsey, New York Times, "Watching the 2018 World Cup? Polyglot New York Has Got You Covered," 15 June 2018 From the side, the exterior is adorned only with the iconic trident on the C pillar and three vents right as the hood slopes into the windshield. — Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, "Classic Maserati with a pinch of Chrysler: The Levante S GranSport, reviewed," 8 June 2018 From the front, the trident sits dead center in the large grille with a large air intake below. — Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, "Classic Maserati with a pinch of Chrysler: The Levante S GranSport, reviewed," 8 June 2018 Which brings us to Klopp’s other key discovery in his Liverpool trident: Firmino’s secret defensive abilities. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "Liverpool’s Champions League Secret: Reinventing Soccer’s Simplest Position," 25 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

In early April, Pacific closed its acquisition of the Trident fish meal plant, which converts fish waste to fish food. — Jeff Manning | The Oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Pacific Seafood, DOJ in fiery clash over Newport expansion," 12 May 2017 Time is of the essence: The commercial season for Pacific whiting, the kind of fish the Trident plant in Newport is equipped to process, opens Monday. — Jeff Manning | The Oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Pacific Seafood, DOJ in fiery clash over Newport expansion," 12 May 2017 Today, American Ohio-class and British Vanguard-class submarines are equipped with a sixth-generation Trident weapons system. — David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, "Launching a Missile From a Submarine Is Harder Than You Think," 13 Feb. 2017

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