torii

[ tawr-ee-ee ]

noun

, plural to·ri·i.

1. (in Japan) a form of decorative gateway or portal, consisting of two upright wooden posts connected at the top by two horizontal crosspieces, commonly found at the entrance to Shinto shrines.

torii

/ ˈtɔːrɪˌiː /

noun

1. a gateway, esp one at the entrance to a Japanese Shinto temple

Word History and Origins

Origin of torii¹

First recorded in 1720–30; from Japanese, equivalent to tori “bird” + (w)i “perch”

Word History and Origins

Origin of torii¹

C19: from Japanese, literally: a perch for birds

Example Sentences

Shinjiro Torii built the first whisky distillery in Japan in 1923 at Yamazaki on the island of Honshu.

From The Daily Beast

There is, first, the wooden archway (called torii, or toriwi) through which one passes in approaching the temples.

From Project Gutenberg

They are approached through archways (called torii, or toriwi) of simple construction.

From Project Gutenberg

Occasionally a shrine was visible within, and the obligatory Torii stood at the edge of the grove, or within its first limits.

From Project Gutenberg

Looking through a Torii one is sure to be in the direction of something sacred, whether it be temple or shrine or holy mountain.

From Project Gutenberg

Then the temple attendants brushed with brooms the mosses of the pavement about the Torii, and the gates were closed.

From Project Gutenberg