torii

American  

[tawr-ee-ee] / ˈtɔr iˌi /

noun

plural

torii

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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Etymology

Origin of torii

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

Example Sentences

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

Behind a tall torii gate, a larger-than-life statue of a kamikaze pilot is flanked by a huge wall painted with Japan’s wartime Rising Sun flag.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2023

Welcoming the Taniguchis and myriad other park visitors was a cultural symbol that Diane says she “really loved” — an imposing, reddish span modeled on entrance structures at Shinto shrines in Japan, called a torii.

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

Under many fine arches, one a tall torii, erected by Chinese and Japanese Canadians, the procession of cars passed through the town, on a broad avenue that runs alongside the great Fraser River.

From Westward with the Prince of Wales by Newton, W. Douglas (Wilfrid Douglas)