peristyle
/ˈpɛɹəstaɪl/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.74 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A porch surrounded by columns.
Example Sentences
- "One cannot, for example, see the Temple of Æsculapius as one stands in the fine open courtyard as it was intended one should do; the interstices on that side of the peristyle have been blocked by Venetian Gothic buildings."
- "The peristyle is a roofed structure, open at the sides, in which most of the ceremonials and dances take place."
- "Most peristyles in Haiti have hard-packed dirt floors that can soak up libations when they're poured on the ground in honor of the spirits."
Etymology
From French péristyle, from Classical Latin peristȳlum, from Ancient Greek περίστυλον (perístulon), from περι- (peri-, “around”) + στῦλος (stûlos, “pillar”), equivalent to peri- + -style.
Origin
- Source language: French
Word Breakdown
- Root: péristyle, peristȳlum, περίστυλον
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈpɛɹəstaɪl/
- British English: /ˈpɛɹɪstaɪl/