torii

American  

[tawr-ee-ee] / ˈtɔr iˌi /

noun

• torii
  plural

1. (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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torii British  

/ ˈtɔːrɪˌiː /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• torii
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of torii

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

torii

Sites like the Hakone torii gates and Arashiyama bamboo forest had huge crowds of people trying to get Instagram-perfect photos, he says.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

On South Seaside Avenue they saw a torii gate like one sees at a Shinto shrine, historical plaques and a bronze pair of Japanese fishermen gazing at Fish Harbor, where their village once stood.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2024

Officiants included Don Taniguchi, 76, honoring his younger sister, Diane, a preservationist who helped raise money for the new torii but died in 2016.

From Seattle Times ● May 5, 2022

It’s not like those we’ve passed so far: Most have been small and tidy, with well-made torii gates and statues, sometimes, of Jizo Bodhisattva, guardian of travelers.

From Washington Post

A miniature torii, from whose crossbeam hung a replica in straw of the mystic shimenawa, marked the entrance, sounding the motivation for the Oriental note within.

From The Bachelors A Novel by William Dana Orcutt

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