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
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(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:
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
Tiffany & Co.’s new collection by Pharrell Williams, dubbed Tiffany Titan, takes inspiration from mythology, channeling the spike of Poseidon’s trident as a symbol of lifeforce, rebellious power and punk energy.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2024
Raley hit a 432-foot blast off Royals starter Brady Singer in the second inning, and then promptly broke the team trident while celebrating in the dugout.
From Seattle Times ● May 13, 2024
We passed the public stocks, which were empty, then came upon a spot where three streets diverged, like a trident.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
“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
Deterra has a royalty over the Thacker Pass lithium project in Nevada following its 2024 acquisition of Trident Royalties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
They argue it could be done in two stages - developing a way to maintain the existing Trident weapons system domestically, and in the longer term manufacturing a fully British-made replacement.
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2026
In September, the United States carried out tests of its nuclear-capable Trident missiles.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2025
They trotted past blackened fields and burned holdfasts, down to the riverlands and the Green Fork of the Trident.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
But Bombnets and tridents weren’t probably addressed in the many coaching and leadership books he’s read.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 24, 2023
Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino formed one of the most potent tridents in world football in Klopp's first great team but the winds of change have been blowing.
From BBC ● Mar. 5, 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
Street posters in Lviv, which has become a gathering place for displaced artists from around the country, depict Ukrainians as white knights, noble siege defenders in medieval armor or men on horseback wielding tridents.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 17, 2022
And swimming through the streets, hanging out in the courtyards, practicing combat with tridents and swords in the arena were dozens of mermen and mermaids—honest-to-goodness fish-people.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
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.
