triskelion

[ trih-skel-ee-on, -uhn, trahy- ]

noun,plural tris·kel·i·a [trih-skel-ee-uh, trahy-]. /trɪˈskɛl i ə, traɪ-/.
  1. a symbolic figure consisting of three legs, arms, or branches radiating from a common center, as the device of Sicily and the Isle of Man.

Origin of triskelion

1
1855–60; <Greek triskel(ḗs) three-legged (tri-tri- + skél(os) leg + -ēs adj. suffix) + -ion diminutive suffix
  • Also tris·kele [tris-keel, trahy-skeel]. /ˈtrɪs kil, ˈtraɪ skil/.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use triskelion in a sentence

  • It is clear the was a far older and more widely spread symbol than the triskele, as well as a more purely Aryan one.

    The Swastika | Thomas Wilson
  • I have already (p. 213) referred to the ultimate fate of the triskele.

    Evolution in Art | Alfred C. Haddon
  • An interesting example of the transformation of a symbol into an emblem is found in the case of the triskele or triquetra.

    Evolution in Art | Alfred C. Haddon
  • In various places transition occur between the tetraskele and triskele (Fig. 130, I).

    Evolution in Art | Alfred C. Haddon
  • The triskele and the circles are sometimes found on faces figured on coins.

British Dictionary definitions for triskelion

triskelion

triskele (ˈtrɪskiːl)

/ (trɪˈskɛlɪˌɒn, -ən) /


nounplural triskelia (trɪˈskɛlɪə) or triskeles
  1. a symbol consisting of three bent limbs or lines radiating from a centre

Origin of triskelion

1
C19: from Greek triskelēs three-legged, from tri- + skelos leg

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012