triskelion

[trih-skel-ee-on, -uh n, trahy-]

noun, plural tris·kel·i·a

[trih-skel-ee-uh, trahy-] /trɪˈskɛl i ə, traɪ-/.

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.

Also tris·kele

[tris-keel, trahy-skeel] /ˈtrɪs kil, ˈtraɪ skil/.

Origin of triskelion

1855–60; < Greek triskel(ḗs) three-legged (tri- tri- + skél(os) leg + -ēs adj. suffix) + -ion diminutive suffix

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for triskele

Historical Examples of triskele

I have already (p. 213) referred to the ultimate fate of the triskele.
Evolution in Art
Alfred C. Haddon
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
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.
The Religion of the Ancient Celts
J. A. MacCulloch

British Dictionary definitions for triskele

triskelion

triskele (ˈtrɪskiːl)

noun plural triskelia (trɪˈskɛlɪə) or triskeles

a symbol consisting of three bent limbs or lines radiating from a centre

Word Origin for triskelion

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

Word Origin and History for triskele

triskelion

"figure consisting of three branches radiating from a center," 1880, earlier triskelos (1857), from Greek triskeles "three-legged," from tri- "three" (see tri-) + skelos "leg" (see scalene).