Plinth
/plɪnθ/noun
A heavy base or platform that supports a column, statue, or structure.
Did you know?Plinth entered English through Latin from Greek plinthos, the word for a brick or tile, because the “base” of a monument was imagined as a solid block of built stone.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
plínthos
“a brick or tile”
Late Latin
Latin
plinthus
“a square base or block, from Greek usage”
Old French
French
plinthe
“a base or pedestal”
16th Century
English
plinth
“a square base supporting a column or statue”
Modern English
English
plinth
“the base or platform on which a column, statue, or structure stands”