plinth

American  

[plinth] / plɪnθ /

noun

Architecture.

1. a slablike member beneath the base of a column or pier.

2. a square base or a lower block, as of a pedestal.

3. Also called plinth course.  a projecting course of stones at the base of a wall; earth table.

4. (in joinery) a flat member at the bottom of an architrave, dado, baseboard, or the like.

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plinth British  

/ plɪnθ /

noun

1. Also called: socle.  the rectangular slab or block that forms the lowest part of the base of a column, statue, pedestal, or pier

2. 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

3. a flat block on either side of a doorframe, where the architrave meets the skirting

4. a flat base on which a structure or piece of equipment is placed

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• plinthless
  adjective
• plinthlike
  adjective

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."

Related Words

• podium