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Glite Dictionary
peristyle

peristyle

1 9.9
A row of columns that surrounds a building or courtyard
  • noun
  • /ˈpɛrəˌstaɪl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : peristilo
  • Two peristyle courts with columns encircling them, a smaller one, and then a very large one in the back.
  • peristyle garden

Examples

  • The peristyle offered no protection from the morning sun, and Uncle Bias squinted into the glare as he continued his story.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • I almost expected the owner to greet me with a cup of wine (perhaps in one of the stunning silver cups for which the house is so famous) and invite me to come out of the sun and relax in the shade of his newly planted peristyle garden.

    Academic text (2003)

  • I want you to see if you can gain access to that room on the North end of the peristyle.

    Two-Minute Warning (1976)

  • Then he turned his head to watch what was happening in the peristyle.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Will Mr. Martin Hollinger please report to the coliseum office below the peristyle, at the east end of the coliseum.

    Hustle (1975)

  • The coastal strip displayed dozens of lavish Ptolemaic palaces with wide peristyle courts, pools and fountains.

  • Crane Tower would have been built approximately where the Aon Building stands today—note the peristyle in the lower left corner, torn down in 1953, replaced in 2004 (Chicago Tribune).

    Blog text (28)

  • The ancient temple featured a grand peristyle that showcased intricately designed columns.

  • Visitors enjoyed the beautiful view from the peristyle of the historic villa.

  • The architect planned a spacious peristyle to enhance the openness of the courtyard.

Synonyms

colonnade
vsperistyle
  • Specialized
4 7.9

A row of columns that hold up a roof along a building

surrounds a building or encloses a courtyard rather than supporting a roof

How Long

peristyle
  • Specialized
1 9.9
colonnade
  • Specialized
4 7.9
row
389 1.0

Surface Forms

peristyle singular
peristyles plural

Morphology

peristyle = peri + styl

Although historically analyzable as peri- 'around' + styl- 'column', these Greek combining forms are not productive standalone English words and the components are not recognizable to an average B1 learner, so the meaning is not transparently derivable from known English bases.

Etymology

Peristyle comes from Greek peri- 'around' and stylos 'column', like the 'around' in perimeter. So a peristyle is a row of columns that goes 'around' a building or courtyard.