Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

caryatid

/ˌkɛəɹiˈætɪd/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.69 in modern English

Syllables: cary-atid
IPA: /ˌkɛəɹiˈætɪd/

14

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head.

Example Sentences

"She wore on the top of her head an upright circular cap that made her resemble a caryatid disburdened, and on other parts of her person strange combinations of colours, stuffs, shapes, of metal, mineral and plant."

Etymology

From Middle French cariatide, from Latin caryatides, from Ancient Greek Καρυάτιδες (Karuátides), plural of Καρυᾶτις (Karuâtis, “a priestess of Artemis, female figures used as bearing-shafts”), from καρυατίζω (karuatízō, “dance the Karyatid festival dance”) from Καρύαι (Karúai, “a town in Laconia with a temple of Artemis and a festival”).

Origin

Source language: Middle French

Word Breakdown

Root: cariatide, caryatides, Καρυάτιδες

Inflected Forms

caryatids (plural) caryatides (plural)

Derived Forms

caryatidal caryatidic caryatidlike

Frequently Paired Words

telamon atlas atlantid

Questions

How do you pronounce caryatid?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌkɛəɹiˈætɪd/.
What does caryatid mean?: A sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head.
Where does caryatid come from?: It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce caryatid

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “caryatid”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌkɛəɹiˈætɪd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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