triptych
noun
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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
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 May 2025
Just beyond, a triptych stretched 15 feet across a wall.
—Rick Jervis, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
Joan Mitchell’s vast six-metre-long triptych, entitled Iva (1973), is now on display at Tate Modern where it will be enjoyed for free by millions of visitors each year.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
The top works sold were a triptych by Jonas Wood for $650,000, a Shara Hughes painting for $450,000–$500,000, a Huma Bhabha sculpture for $250,000–$300,000, and over a dozen other works ranging from $12,000 to $125,000.
—Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Triptych.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triptych. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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