caryatid
noun/ˌkæriˈætɪd/
/ˌkæriˈætɪd/
(architecture)- a statue of a female figure used as a supporting pillar in a buildingWord Originmid 16th cent.: via French and Italian from Latin caryatides, from Greek karuatides, plural of karuatis ‘priestess of Artemis at Caryae’, from Karuai (Caryae) in Laconia (a modern department and ancient region of Greece).
Want to learn more?
Find out which words work together and produce more natural sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
caryatid