: a block upon which the moldings of an architrave or trim are stopped at the bottom
2
: a usually square block serving as a base
broadly: any of various bases or lower parts
3
: a course of stones forming a continuous foundation or base course
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Plinth and Architecture
"These ivy-clad arcades — / These mouldering plinths ... are they all — / All of the famed, and the colossal left…?" In these lines from "The Coliseum," Edgar Allan Poe alludes to a practical feature of classical architecture. The plinth serves the important purpose of raising the base of the column it supports above the ground, thus protecting it from dampness and mold. The humble plinth is usually a mere thick block. It's humbly named, too, for the Greek word plinthos means simply "tile" or "brick." English writers have used plinth, a shortened version of the Latin form plinthus, since the mid-16th century. The word's meaning was later extended to bases for statues, vases, or busts.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebThis is a car that would look as natural sitting on a plinth as in a garage. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 12 Sep. 2022 The statue, named ‘Antelope’ will be on Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth, which showcases a different piece of artwork every two years. Ciku Kimeria, Quartz, 2 Aug. 2022 The plinth is a solid chunk of MDF, and the platter is a heavy steel one. Brad Moon, Forbes, 24 Apr. 2022 Situated at a spot where police and protesters had regularly done battle, the plaza contained a stone plinth supporting a bronze statue of a historic Chilean figure, General Baquedano, on horseback. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 6 June 2022 The entire plinth is wrapped in one of three durable foil finishes. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 3 May 2022 On a nearby plinth, the breasts, buttocks, fists, forearms and stomachs of his friends and lovers were strewn about, waiting to join the 47-year-old artist’s sculptural collages.New York Times, 20 June 2022 During the estallido, authorities had removed the statue, leaving only the plinth, which was now covered in graffiti, as were many nearby buildings, some of which had also been torched. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 6 June 2022 Sunk into the ground at the base of each tree was a small concrete plinth to which was affixed a tiny copper name tag. John Kelly, Washington Post, 31 May 2022 See More