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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Architecture A supporting column sculptured in the form of a draped female figure.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. pl. caryatids, caryatides (-idz, -i-dēz). In architecture, a figure of a woman dressed in long robes, serving as a column to support an entablature or to fill any other office of a column. Vitruvius relates that the city of Caryæ sided with the Persians after the battle of Thermopylæ, and that it was on this account sacked by the other Greeks, who took the women captive, and to perpetuate this event erected trophies in which figures of women dressed in the Caryatic manner were used to support entablatures. This story is probably imaginary, but no doubt the name and perhaps the idea of the caryatids were derived from Caryæ.
  2. Pertaining to or of the form of a caryatid; caryatic.

Wiktionary

  1. n. A sculpted female figure serving as an architectural element, used as a support for entablature.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. A draped female figure supporting an entablature, in the place of a column or pilaster.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. a supporting column carved in the shape of a person

Etymologies

  1. From Latin Caryātides, caryatids, from Greek Karuātides, priestesses of Artemis at Caryae, caryatids, from Karuai, Caryae, a village of Laconia in southern Greece with a famous temple to Artemis.

Examples

  • “Sometimes it may be called a caryatid, which is, as I understand it, a cruel device of architecture, representing a man or a woman, obliged to hold up upon his or her head or shoulders a structure which they did not build, and which could stand just as well without as with them.”

    The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner

  • “Schlossberg, where he performed the function of a kind of caryatid, and looked, in the black of his skin and the white of his flowing costume, like a colossal figure carved in ebony and ivory.”

    Complete March Family Trilogy

  • “A day or two after Mrs. March had met Mrs. Adding, she went with her husband to revere a certain magnificent blackamoor whom he had discovered at the entrance of one of the aristocratic hotels on the Schlossberg, where he performed the function of a kind of caryatid, and looked, in the black of his skin and the white of his flowing costume, like a colossal figure carved in ebony and ivory.”

    Their Silver Wedding Journey — Volume 2

  • “The porch on the left is supported by caryatid figures.”

    Archive 2010-04-01

  • “A caryatid, Wikipedia informs me, is "a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head".”

    I'm a caryatid!

  • “Nor am I supporting any of the architecture (which, I also learn from Wikipedia, would then properly make me a telemon or atlas, the male version of a caryatid).”

    I'm a caryatid!

  • “No marble caryatid was as sleek and lovely as her PowerBook.”

    The Washington Post: The Gift of the Magi: The Sequel

  • “Having published independent research on Greek statuary, she is currently preparing a manuscript on Greek caryatid mirrors.”

    The Assos Journals of Francis H. Bacon

  • “I kissed Helena beside the caryatid porch of the Erechtheion.”

    See Delphi and Die

  • “I see her go for water, and then she comes, the urn upon her shoulder, a living caryatid, and as she passes she permits a splash upon my epaulettes.”

    Captain Corelli's Mandolin

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  • elisheba Image Hosted by ImageShack.us
    the 'sala delle cariatidi' in milan is a very atmospheric, redolent XVIII century hall of mirrors in the royal palace, you can see some photos of it here (taken by elisheba:-)): http://tinyurl.com/5nh58n Sep 17, 2008
  • elisheba in italian, a cariatide caryatid is also a pejorative noun for an old, backward-looking person (e.g. una vecchia cariatide del regime - a diehard caryatid of the regime), or a mature/old woman.
    Sep 17, 2008
  • elisheba the male counterpart of a caryatid is called telamon, and coincides with the mythological figure of the titan, Atlas Sep 17, 2008
  • arby NOUN: Inflected forms: pl. car·y·at·ids or car·y·at·i·des (--dz)
    Architecture A supporting column sculptured in the form of a draped female figure.
    ETYMOLOGY: From Latin Carytides, caryatids, from Greek Karutides, priestesses of Artemis at Caryae, caryatids, from Karuai, Caryae, a village of Laconia in southern Greece with a famous temple to Artemis.
    --------------------------------------
    I learned it from Stranger in a Strange Land.

    Ahh, good times.

    *goes to add grok to her words* May 7, 2007
  • seanmeade learned this from D&D: the monster called a caryatid column Mar 26, 2007

‘caryatid’ has been looked up 1408 times, loved by 2 people, added to 44 lists, commented on 5 times, and has a Scrabble score of 14.