onkos

9.9

A tall, decorated headdress worn by actors in ancient Greek plays to make them look taller and more important

noun

Archaic

: onkos

To portray the gods on stage, performers often donned an onkos to appear more imposing.

Examples

The actor wore a tall onkos as part of his elaborate costume.
In ancient Greek theatre, the onkos symbolized the character's status.
Historians debate how the onkos influenced the visual impact of Greek theater performances.
The actor wore an elaborate onkos during the performance.
To portray the gods on stage, performers often donned an onkos to appear more imposing.
The actor wore a tall onkos as part of his elaborate costume.
In ancient Greek theatre, the onkos symbolized the character's status.

How Tall

onkos

Archaic

9.9

headdress

15 5.6

crown

90 3.0

hat

∞ 1.0

cap

289 1.0

Surface Forms

onkos singular

onkoi plural

Etymology

Onkos comes from a Greek root onk- meaning 'mass' or 'bulk', and tall headdresses were called this because they made actors look larger and more impressive on stage. You can see the same root in oncology, the medical study of 'tumours' or masses, so this origin explains why an onkos adds height and presence.