trident
noun
a three-pronged instrument or weapon.
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trident
American
[trahyd-nt]
/ ˈtraɪd nt /
noun
-
tridents
plural
-
a three-pronged instrument or weapon.
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Roman History. a three-pronged spear used by a retiarius in gladiatorial combats.
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Classical Mythology. the three-pronged spear forming a characteristic attribute of the sea god Poseidon, or Neptune.
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a fish spear having three prongs.
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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
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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:
The Kings’ success will rest in how well Los Angeles adapts to Laviolette’s coaching trident.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 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
As well as protecting maritime task groups and gathering intelligence, they protect the Vanguard class of submarines that carry the UK's trident nuclear missiles.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2025
He notes that the merfolk Laios wants to eat holds a trident as a weapon, making the conclusion that merfolk are smart enough to use tools.
From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2024
The Frey men wore the badge of the two towers, those from White Harbor displayed merman and trident.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
“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
Since 1969, the UK has operated continuous at-sea deterrence, 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. 20, 2026
Then the engineers of Trident, near Kharkiv, moving to another scale and paving the way for decisive technological breakthroughs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
In September, the United States carried out tests of its nuclear-capable Trident missiles.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2025
North of here the kingsroad ran along the Green Fork of the Trident, through fertile valleys and green woodlands, past thriving towns and stout holdfasts and the castles of the river lords.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
On the inside collar of the jersey is the slogan “Sodo Mojo” with two upward point tridents, which is a nod to where the Mariners have played in the Sodo District.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 28, 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
The scientists measured various Walliserops specimens’ tridents and compared them with those of living rhinoceros beetles, which have elaborate headgear that males use to battle one another.
From New York Times ● Jan. 16, 2023
Videos show participants dancing and chanting religious slogans, with many holding swords and tridents.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2022
Lord Manderly’s household guard wore cloaks of blue-green wool and carried silver tridents in place of common spears.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
