trilith

9.9

Two large upright stones that hold a third stone across the top

noun
/ˈtraɪlɪθ/

Specialized

: trilito

While hiking in the mountains, we discovered a fascinating trilith made of towering stones that suggested an ancient site.
row of triliths

Examples

Many triliths can be found in prehistoric sites.
The ancient monument featured a prominent trilith at its entrance.
Archaeologists studied the construction techniques used to build each trilith at the site.
Visitors were amazed by the size and balance of the trilith structures at Stonehenge.
The ancient trilith stood majestically in the field.
The archaeologists uncovered several trilith structures that aligned perfectly with the setting sun during the solstice.
During our expedition, we carefully documented each trilith we encountered, noting their unique architectural features.

Synonyms

trilithon

vstrilith

Specialized

1 9.9

A stone structure of two tall standing stones with a third stone laid across the top

has identical meaning but is a variant name for the same structure

Surface Forms

trilith singular

triliths plural

Morphology

trilith = lith (semi-transparent) = tri + lith

The prefix 'tri-' signals 'three' but the combining form 'lith' is uncommon as a standalone word, so learners unfamiliar with such combining forms may not fully infer 'stone'.

Etymology

Trilith comes from Greek parts tri- 'three' and lith 'stone', the same root you see in monolith. So a trilith is literally 'three stones', two standing stones holding a third across the top, which explains the word's meaning.