Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Architecture An ornament in a Doric frieze, consisting of a projecting block having on its face two parallel vertical glyphs or grooves and two half grooves or chamfers on either vertical end, that separates the metopes.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. In architecture, a structural member in the frieze of the Doric order, repeated at equal intervals, usually over every column and over the middle of every intercolumniation. The typical Greek triglyph is a massive block incised with two entire vertical grooves cut to a right angle, called
glyphs , framed between three fillets, and with a semi-groove at each side. The block is grooved on both sides to receive the adjoining metopes, which are thin slabs slid into their places from above. The triglyphs represent the ends of the ceiling-beams of the primitive wooden construction. In Greek use the exterior triglyphs of a range are always slightly displaced, so as to occupy the angles of the frieze instead of coming, like the others, over the centers of the columns; in Roman and affiliated architectures this refinement does not occur; and in Roman and even some of the later Greek examples the triglyphs are merely carved in relief in the face of the frieze-blocks, instead of being, as properly, independent blocks. See also cuts underentablature and monotriglyph.
Wiktionary
- n. architecture A term for the vertically channeled tablets of the Doric frieze.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Arch.) An ornament in the frieze of the Doric order, repeated at equal intervals. Each triglyph consists of a rectangular tablet, slightly projecting, and divided nearly to the top by two parallel and perpendicular gutters, or channels, called
glyphs , into three parts, or spaces, calledfemora . A half channel, or glyph, is also cut upon each of the perpendicular edges of the tablet. SeeIllust. of entablature.
Etymologies
- Latin trīglyphus, from Greek trigluphos : tri-, three; + gluphē, carving; see glyph. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Really, it's not unlike all those millions of Americans huddling around their kitchen tables right now trying to figure out their own budgets .. except instead of a kitchen table it will be convened at one that seats 16 people and is made of polished wood and instead of an actual kitchen they'll be flanked by the ornate false skylight and triglyph molding of the Roosevelt room.”
The Huffington Post: HUFFPOST HILL - White House Budget Meeting Tomorrow
“For the fitting together of the stones is different from the fluting of the column, and these are both different from the making of the temple; and the making of the temple is complete (for it lacks nothing with a view to the end proposed), but the making of the base or of the triglyph is incomplete; for each is the making of only a part.”
“The difficulty was, that if the triglyph was placed on the angle of the building (the practice of the Greeks) and the next triglyph was placed over the axis of the column, the metope (or panel) between these two triglyphs would be larger than the metopes between the triglyphs axial over the other columns.”
“Greeks solved it by reducing the width of the end intercolumniation, but later critics disliked this, and solved it by removing the end triglyph from the angle and placing it axial over the end column.”
“The width of the triglyph should be divided into six parts, and five of these marked off in the middle by means of the rule, and two half parts at the right and left.”
“Corinthian columns, composed either of the Doric proportions or according to the Ionic usages; for the Corinthian order never had any scheme peculiar to itself for its cornices or other ornaments, but may have mutules in the coronae and guttae on the architraves according to the triglyph system of the Doric style, or, according to Ionic practices, it may be arranged with a frieze adorned with sculptures and accompanied with dentils and coronae.”
“Thus, over each portion of the architrave two metopes and two triglyphs [3] will be placed; and, in addition, at the corners half a triglyph and besides a space large enough for a half triglyph.”
“Those who would make the metopes all alike, make the outermost intercolumniations narrower by half the width of a triglyph.”
“[Note 3: That is: two metopes with a triglyph between them, and half of the triglyph on either side.] 9.”
“The capitals of each triglyph are to measure one sixth of a module.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘triglyph’.
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phrontistery-t
from phrontistery.info
tyromancy, tyroma, tyroid, tyriasis, tyrannicide, typtology, typothetae, typomania, typography, typographia, typhonic, typhomania and 930 more...
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Logolepsy
"Luciferous Logolepsy is a collection of over 9,000 obscure English words. Though the definition of an 'English' word might seem to be straightforward, it is not. There exist so many adopted, deriv...
Anschauung, Areopagus, Argus, Briarean, Dei gratia, Dei judicium, Deo volente, Duecento, Foehn, Geflugelte Worte, Gegenschein, Hakenkreuz and 9230 more...
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Columniation
A list of terms pertaining to columns employed in architecture.
hypostyle, peristyle, columniation, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, base, shaft, capital, entablature, architrave, frieze and 78 more...
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Forgotten English 1
jacal, mastaba, lucarne, quoin, triglyph, gargarice, nimgimmer, phrenologize, fleam, eaglestone, toad eater, king's evil and 156 more...
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Mat8iou's interesting words
Words I've come across & want to remember.
bloviation, elginism, panegyric, infandous, boke, pangram, quine, pareto principle, panopticon, snib, escutcheon, bokeh and 129 more...
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wordhoard
dilatory, ataraxia, hermit, cabana, hut, dome, vestigial, porcine, crapulous, usufruct, curmudgeon, bombastic and 229 more...
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kawy's list
subtrist, tricoteuse, undisonant, apricity, apricity, nudiustertian, snaste, chrestomath, chrestomath, velleity, zugzwang, muntin and 106 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for triglyph.
super-kawy An ornament in a Doric frieze, consisting of a projecting block having on its face two parallel vertical glyphs or grooves and two half grooves or chamfers on either vertical end, that separates the metopes. Sep 22, 2009