plinth

noun

ˈplin(t)th 

1

a

: the lowest member of a base : subbase

b

: a block upon which the moldings of an architrave or trim are stopped at the bottom

2

: a usually square block serving as a base

broadly : any of various bases or lower parts

3

: a course of stones forming a continuous foundation or base course

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Plinth and Architecture

"These ivy-clad arcades — / These mouldering plinths ... are they all — / All of the famed, and the colossal left…?" In these lines from "The Coliseum," Edgar Allan Poe alludes to a practical feature of classical architecture. The plinth serves the important purpose of raising the base of the column it supports above the ground, thus protecting it from dampness and mold. The humble plinth is usually a mere thick block. It's humbly named, too, for the Greek word plinthos means simply "tile" or "brick." English writers have used plinth, a shortened version of the Latin form plinthus, since the mid-16th century. The word's meaning was later extended to bases for statues, vases, or busts.

Examples of plinth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Workers mixed mortar and drove a scissor lift to the edge of a concrete plinth surmounted by four steel rods—supports for the Buddha, whose sandstone body would slide down them in four parts, like beads in an abacus. —Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

The sculpture appeared to have been erected in the early hours of Wednesday on a plinth on a traffic island in Waterloo Place, near Buckingham Palace. —Reuters, NBC news, 1 May 2026

The sculpture appeared to have been erected in the early hours of Wednesday on a plinth on a traffic island in Waterloo Place, near Buckingham Palace. —ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026

The textured space is filled with vintage treasures including a Rogan Gregory light sculpture, a wood plinth by Milo Baughman, and a 1960s bamboo armchair by Giovanni Travasa. —Sarah Wood González, Architectural Digest, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin plinthus, from Greek plinthos

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for plinth

• synth
• hyacinth
• labyrinth

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Kids Definition

plinth

noun

ˈplin(t)th 

1

: the lowest part of the base of an architectural column

2

: a block used as a base (as for a vase)