trident
noun
a three-pronged instrument or weapon.
trident
American
[trahyd-nt]
/ ˈtraɪd nt /
noun
-
tridents
plural
-
a three-pronged instrument or weapon.
-
Roman History. a three-pronged spear used by a retiarius in gladiatorial combats.
-
Classical Mythology. the three-pronged spear forming a characteristic attribute of the sea god Poseidon, or Neptune.
-
a fish spear having three prongs.
-
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
-
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:
Atletico Madrid's new home shirt platforms the Rojiblancos' famous stripes, together with a subtle trident motif - a symbol associated with the club's fans, who gather at Madrid's Neptune Fountain to celebrate victories.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 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
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
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
He was too mystified, trying to swat the glowing trident that was now fading over his head.
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
“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
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
The net closed in on the Jabber Zeus crew, and an FBI-led operation called Trident Beach saw arrests in Ukraine and the UK.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2025
In September, the United States carried out tests of its nuclear-capable Trident missiles.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2025
A pleasant enough river, I suppose, but the smallest fork of the Trident is twice as wide, and all three of them run swifter.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
One group of ash-smeared men, some naked and some dressed in just loin cloth or marigold garland draped around their necks, marched in holding tridents, swords and small two-headed drums.
From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2025
The first two tridents represent Russian fighter jets they said they shot down during the first days of the war.
From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2023
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
Of course it’s Finnick, who seems to have spent his childhood doing nothing but wielding tridents and manipulating ropes into fancy knots for nets, I guess.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
