trident
noun
a three-pronged instrument or weapon.
trident
American
[trahyd-nt]
/ ˈtraɪd nt /
noun
-
tridents
plural
-
a three-pronged instrument or weapon.
-
Roman History. a three-pronged spear used by a retiarius in gladiatorial combats.
-
Classical Mythology. the three-pronged spear forming a characteristic attribute of the sea god Poseidon, or Neptune.
-
a fish spear having three prongs.
-
Military. Trident, a 34-foot (10-meter) submarine-launched U.S. ballistic missile with eight to ten warheads and a range of 6,500 miles (10,459 km).
adjective
trident
1
British
/ ˈtraɪdənt /
noun
-
a three-pronged spear, originally from the East
-
(in Greek and Roman mythology) the three-pronged spear that the sea god Poseidon (Neptune) is represented as carrying
-
a three-pronged instrument, weapon, or symbol
adjective
Trident
2
British
/ ˈtraɪdənt /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of trident
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin trident- (stem of tridēns ) “having three teeth”; see tri-, dent 2
Explanation
If you’re the ancient Greek god of the sea, you’re probably already familiar with a trident, a three-pronged spear you can use to stab things. The trident, which is a spear with three points, or prongs, is often associated with the Greek god Poseidon, who used his trident to cause earthquakes and create sources of water. Mere mortals, however, are more likely to use a trident for spear fishing, or long ago, for military combat. Remember not to confuse a trident with a pitchfork, which is used mainly for lifting and tossing things.
Vocabulary lists containing trident
UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #5
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UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #6
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: tri-
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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.
See Examples For:
A boy from Watts stares at the ocean, imagining ancient Greek boats sailing across the Pacific and his father in a toga and sneakers, proudly hoisting a trident.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Some fought with only a trident; some fought mounted on horseback; some on chariot; others on foot with helmet and short sword; some with two daggers; still others exclusively fought wild beasts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
The three pillars in the artist's impression, unveiled by the firm Foster and Partners, are a nod to the trident on the Red Devil's crest.
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2025
Raley hit a 432-foot blast off Royals starter Brady Singer in the second inning, and then promptly broke the team trident while celebrating in the dugout.
From Seattle Times ● May 13, 2024
As he swung his trident, the river responded, making a funnel cloud around the monster.
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
“The standards around it don’t exist right now,” said Amanda Annis, an agent at Trident Media Group.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Deterra has a royalty over the Thacker Pass lithium project in Nevada following its 2024 acquisition of Trident Royalties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
The UK has operated continuous at-sea deterrence since 1969, with first Polaris and then Trident missiles stored on and launched from nuclear-powered submarines with the capacity to remain submerged at sea for months.
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2026
In September, the United States carried out tests of its nuclear-capable Trident missiles.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2025
“Big enough to drown a dwarf, I grant you. The Mander is as broad, though. So is the Trident, near its mouth. The Blackwater rims deeper.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Many carried swords and tridents and one held aloft a silver staff with a snake head.
From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2025
But Bombnets and tridents weren’t probably addressed in the many coaching and leadership books he’s read.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 24, 2023
Fair enough, until I look around the restaurant and notice how many visual distractions there are, including all shapes and sizes of tridents.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 17, 2023
At his previous job with Napoli, Sarri turned a trio of previously unspectacular forwards into one of the best attacking tridents in the world.
From Slate ● Jan. 2, 2019
Before Davos could even think to move, he was surrounded by silver tridents.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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