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
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
Completed in 2023, the triptych is made up of newspapers from a pivotal moment in American history.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025
Included is the photo triptych Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn (1995) and Sunflower Seeds (2010), an installation of millions of porcelain sunflower seeds that critiques conformity.
—Ellen Carpenter, AFAR Media, 5 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Triptych.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triptych. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
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