caryatid

[kar-ee-at-id]

noun

Architecture.

plural

caryatids, caryatides 

1. a sculptured female figure used as a column.

caryatid

/ ˌkærɪˈætɪd, ˌkærɪəˈtɪdɪk /

noun

1. a column, used to support an entablature, in the form of a draped female figure Compare telamon

Other Word Forms

• caryatidal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of caryatid¹

1555–65; < Latin Caryātides (singular Caryātis ) < Greek Karyā́tides columns shaped like women, literally, women of Karýai, Laconia

Word History and Origins

Origin of caryatid¹

C16: from Latin Caryātides, from Greek Karuatides priestesses of Artemis at Karuai (Caryae), village in Laconia

Example Sentences

I was like “Hey, I have an idea about these four friends that are caryatids” — which are those sculptures that hold up buildings, you know?

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In ancient Greece, the culture where male athletes were so highly prized as heroic citizens, a caryatid was a draped female figure used instead of a column as an architectural support.

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In it, she and Cardi B dress in Grecian goddess-inspired dresses, dance in front of classically inspired statuary, wear headdresses that evoke caryatids and transform into Grecian vases.

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Adjaye likens it to a caryatid, a statue that held up roofs in classical architecture.

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Their style also separates them from the typical caryatids that visitors might see elsewhere.

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Related Words

• monument