plinth
Americannoun
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a slablike member beneath the base of a column or pier.
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a square base or a lower block, as of a pedestal.
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Also called plinth course. a projecting course of stones at the base of a wall; earth table.
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(in joinery) a flat member at the bottom of an architrave, dado, baseboard, or the like.
noun
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Also called: socle. the rectangular slab or block that forms the lowest part of the base of a column, statue, pedestal, or pier
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Also called: plinth course. the lowest part of the wall of a building that appears above ground level, esp one that is formed of a course of stone or brick
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a flat block on either side of a doorframe, where the architrave meets the skirting
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a flat base on which a structure or piece of equipment is placed
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of plinth
1555–65; earlier plinthus < Latin < Greek plínthos plinth, squared stone, brick, tile
Explanation
If a building has columns, you can call the platform or base on which a column rests a plinth. The plinth typically lies between the column and the ground. In architecture, a plinth is one of the basic building elements. While it's most common for a plinth to support a pillar or column, it can also be used as a base or slab underneath a statue, a bust, or a decorative vase, and in engineering a plinth is the support for a dam. The word comes from the Greek root plinthos, "brick" or "squared stone."
Vocabulary lists containing plinth
Lord of the Flies
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Built To Last: Architectural Parlance
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The Namesake
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The statue was dismantled and removed from its long-time plinth at the University of Hong Kong in late 2021, and other local universities followed suit with similar objects.
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
The council eventually gave up after an attempt to raise the height of the statue's plinth was defeated.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
An equestrian statue of Grant sits atop a tall plinth, flanked by two bronze figure groups.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
At the center, resting on a plinth in front of a shallow niche and beneath a graceful valance of laurel, is French’s striking bronze portrait bust of Hunt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
At a place where six alleys came together, Dany passed an empty marble plinth.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
