triptych

noun

trip·​tych ˈtrip-(ˌ)tik How to pronounce triptych (audio)
1
a
: a picture (such as an altarpiece) or carving in three panels side by side
b
: something composed or presented in three parts or sections
especially : trilogy
2
: an ancient Roman writing tablet with three waxed leaves hinged together

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Triptych Has Greek Roots

A painted or carved triptych typically has three hinged panels, and the two outer panels can be folded in towards the central one. A literary or musical triptych generally consists of three closely related or contrasting themes or parts. Triptych derives from the Greek triptychos ("having three folds"), formed by combining tri- ("three") and ptychē ("fold" or "layer"). Although triptych originally described a specific type of Roman writing tablet that had three hinged sections, it is not surprising that the idea was generalized first to a type of painting, and then to anything composed of three parts.

Examples of triptych in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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When it was shown in 2022 in the artist’s first New York gallery show, the large-scale text-laden triptych got a shout out in the New Yorker, earning Parris a comparison to Joan Mitchell. Angelica Villa, ARTnews.com, 4 Oct. 2024 Rankin won the Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award at Cannes for his absurdist triptych comedy that riffs on Wes Anderson while homaging Abbas Kiarostami. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2024 These woodcuts are so large, each of the five scenes is a triptych of three 8-by-4-feet cherry plywood panels, which Hobbs prepares with black paint before carving light and dark areas. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 10 Sep. 2024 The second book in a planned experimental triptych is told from the perspective of a future researcher who unearths remnants of late capitalism, antiBlackness, and environmental crisis while exploring what exists beyond humanity. Natasha Gural, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for triptych 

Word History

Etymology

Greek triptychos having three folds, from tri- + ptychē fold

First Known Use

1731, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of triptych was in 1731

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Cite this Entry

“Triptych.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triptych. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

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