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torii

[ tawr-ee-ee ]
/ ˈtɔr iˌi /

noun, plural to·ri·i.

(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.

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Origin of torii

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

Words nearby torii

tori, toric, toric lens, Tories, to rights, torii, Torino, Tormé, torment, tormentil, tormentor
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for torii

British Dictionary definitions for torii

torii
/ (ˈtɔːrɪˌiː) /

noun plural -rii

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

Word Origin for torii

C19: from Japanese, literally: a perch for birds
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012