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Glite Dictionary
trilithon

trilithon

1 9.9
A stone structure of two tall standing stones with a third stone laid across the top
  • noun
  • /ˈtraɪlɪθən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : trilito
  • Visitors marveled at the impressive trilithon, with its two tall stone pillars supporting a massive horizontal slab.
  • builders of the trilithons
  • circle of trilithons
  • great trilithons

Examples

  • You'd have to look at the Trilithon stones like that with the base.

  • At Stonehenge, Darvill guesses that the tallest pair of megaliths, the great trilithon at the site's center, represent the local equivalent of Apollo and the female lunar deity Artemis.

    Academic text (2008)

  • We walked through the ancient site, admiring the massive trilithon that stood proudly in the center.

  • The archaeologist explained how the trilithon was built as a part of the prehistoric monument.

Synonyms

trilith
vstrilithon
  • Specialized
9.9

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

is the same meaning but used as an alternate form of the word

Surface Forms

trilithon singular
trilithons plural

Morphology

trilithon = tri + lith + on

The components ('tri-' = three, 'lith' = stone, '-on' nominal suffix) yield the general sense 'three-stone structure', but the combining forms are learned/technical and the precise architectural configuration (two uprights with a lintel) is specialized, so an average B1 learner may only partially recover the meaning.

Etymology

Trilithon comes from Greek parts tri- 'three' and lithos 'stone', so it literally means 'three stones'. Think of tri- as in tricycle and lithos as in monolith to remember the two standing stones with a third stone laid across the top.