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Glite Dictionary
Corinthian order

Corinthian order

9.9
A style of ancient Greek columns that have decorated leaf-shaped tops
  • noun
  • /kəˈrɪnθiən ˈɔrdər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : orden corintio
  • The museum's entrance features beautiful Corinthian order columns, showcasing their intricate acanthus leaf designs.

Examples

  • The central flower that we see always in the Corinthian order for the columns that were used for the temple and for most of the side columns on the first story as well.

  • It's two storied Corinthian order on both stories, tall podium.

  • Many ancient temples were built using the Corinthian order, which is known for its elegant and decorative columns.

  • The architect chose the Corinthian order for the new civic center to add a touch of grandeur to the building.

How Ornate

Composite order
  • Specialized
9.9
Corinthian order
  • Specialized
9.9
Ionic order
  • Specialized
9.3
Doric order
  • Specialized
9.2

Surface Forms

Corinthian order singular
Corinthian orders plural

Morphology

Corinthian + order

The phrase is fully compositional: the adjective 'Corinthian' names a particular classical style and 'order' denotes a style/system of classical architecture, so together they denote that specific architectural order. This is a literal, language-neutral naming pattern (e.g., French/Spanish equivalents), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Corinthian order may come from the city of Corinth and a simple story about a basket of acanthus leaves. One popular story says a sculptor saw the leaves growing around a basket on a girl's grave and copied them for the tops of columns, so today Corinthian order means tall, slender columns with carved leaves used to make buildings look 'grand'.