caryatid
[ kar-ee-at-id ]
/ ˌkær iˈæt ɪd /
noun, plural car·y·at·ids, car·y·at·i·des [kar-ee-at-i-deez] /ˌkær iˈæt ɪˌdiz/. Architecture.
a sculptured female figure used as a column.
Compare atlas(def 5).
Origin of caryatid
1555–65; < Latin
Caryātides (singular
Caryātis) < Greek
Karyā́tides columns shaped like women, literally, women of
Karýai, Laconia
OTHER WORDS FROM caryatid
car·y·at·i·dal, adjectiveWords nearby caryatid
carvery,
carving,
carving fork,
carving knife,
cary,
caryatid,
caryl,
caryn,
caryo-,
caryophyllaceous,
caryopsis
Example sentences from the Web for caryatid
British Dictionary definitions for caryatid
caryatid
/ (ˌkærɪˈætɪd) /
noun plural -ids or -ides (-ɪˌdiːz)
a column, used to support an entablature, in the form of a draped female figure
Compare telamon
Derived forms of caryatid
caryatidal, caryatidean, caryatic or caryatidic (ˌkærɪəˈtɪdɪk), adjectiveWord Origin for caryatid
C16: from Latin
Caryātides, from Greek
Karuatides priestesses of Artemis at
Karuai (Caryae), village in Laconia