Illustration of triton
- triton 2
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Triton
: a son of Poseidon described as a demigod of the sea with the lower part of his body like that of a fish
2
[New Latin, genus name, from Latin Triton]
: any of various large marine gastropod mollusks (family Ranellidae synonym Cymatiidae) with a heavy elongated conical shell
also
: the shell
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Triton and Mermaids
Triton was originally the son of the sea god Poseidon (or Neptune). A guardian of the fish and other creatures of the sea, he is usually shown as hearty, muscular, and cheerful. Like his father, he often carries a trident (three-pronged fork) and may ride in a chariot drawn by seahorses. Blowing on his conch shell, he creates the roar of the ocean. As a decorative image, Tritons are simply the male version of mermaids. The handsome seashells that bear their name are the very conchs on which they blow. Triton has also given his name to the planet Neptune's largest moon.
Examples of triton in a Sentence
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Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Jan. 2026
Tritons senior running back Carson Sloan rushed for 67 yards and scored his team’s two touchdowns.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2025
It is said that the nymphs are departed, the tritons are departed, and those who had lived in these apartments and also those who had lived in those apartments.
—Eugene Ostashevsky, The New York Review of Books, 4 May 2023
Sculptural figures including tritons, mythical sea gods, are rendered in more detail on the front and back.
—Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 25 Apr. 2023
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Noun
Tritons hang on The Tritons’ women’s basketball team moved back into a tie for the Big West Conference lead by holding on to defeat the Anteaters 68-66 in Irvine.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Jan. 2026
Tritons senior running back Carson Sloan rushed for 67 yards and scored his team’s two touchdowns.
—Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2025
It is said that the nymphs are departed, the tritons are departed, and those who had lived in these apartments and also those who had lived in those apartments.
—Eugene Ostashevsky, The New York Review of Books, 4 May 2023
Sculptural figures including tritons, mythical sea gods, are rendered in more detail on the front and back.
—Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 25 Apr. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Triton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triton. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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