tripod

noun tri·pod \ ˈtrī-ˌpäd \

Definition of tripod

1 :a three-legged stand (as for a camera)

2 :a stool, table, or altar with three legs

3 :a vessel (such as a cauldron) resting on three legs

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tripod

or tripodal play \ˈtri-pə-dᵊl, ˈtrī-ˌpä-\ adjective

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Recent Examples of tripod from the Web

Joe Ovel, who lives near West High School, was circling the building Thursday with a camera on a tripod.

— devin kelly, Alaska Dispatch News, "A moment 15 years in the making: The old Northern Lights Inn is coming down," 25 Aug. 2017
A tripod may help with steadier picture-taking too.

— tess koman, Cosmopolitan, "Everything You Need to Know About the August 21, 2017 Solar Eclipse," 19 Aug. 2017
Four days before the 2017 solar eclipse, British artist Brian McClave stood in a kitchen to teach several photographers how to use a special apparatus on two cameras positioned on a tripod.

— elizabeth kramer, The Courier-Journal, "Artists fan out across the country to photograph 'changing landscape' of eclipse," 18 Aug. 2017
More than 200 volunteers have been trained and given special small telescopes and tripods to observe the sun at 68 locations in the exact same way.

— seth borenstein, The Seattle Times, "More than spectacle: Eclipses create science and so can you," 14 Aug. 2017
More than 200 volunteers have been trained and given special small telescopes and tripods to observe the sun at 68 locations in the exact same way.

— seth borenstein, The Christian Science Monitor, "NASA mobilizes citizen-scientists to capture total eclipse," 14 Aug. 2017
Such a list might include: clear memory card, new batteries, filter(s), duct tape, tripod and cable release.

— eric adler, kansascity, "Wind. Darkness. Once-in-a-lifetime event: Here’s how to photograph the solar eclipse," 2 Aug. 2017
To track the user’s movement, the Rift uses one or more infrared cameras in a room, often on tripods.

— matthew hutson, Science | AAAS, "Wi-Fi could protect you from getting lost in virtual reality," 24 July 2017
That means practicing moving the camera on the tripod, changing the exposure quickly and removing the solar filter without disrupting the angle.

— OregonLive.com, "How to photograph the total solar eclipse: 8 tips for getting a perfect picture," 18 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of tripod

Middle English, from Latin tripod-, tripus, from Greek tripod-, tripous, from tripod-, tripous, adjective, three-footed, from tri- + pod-, pous foot — more at foot

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First Known Use: 15th century

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