Trident
/ˈtraɪ.dənt/noun
A three-pronged spear or fork, especially one associated with Poseidon or Neptune.
Did you know?Its Latin root, *tri-* + *-dens*, ties the trident to the same tooth-word family that gave English “dentist,” so the sea god’s weapon is basically a sacred three-toothed jaw.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dent-
“tooth”
Latin
Latin
tri- + dens, dentis
“three + tooth”
Late Latin
Latin
tridens, tridentis
“having three teeth; three-pronged spear”
Old French
Old French
trident
“three-pronged spear”
16th Century
English
trident
“a three-pronged spear, especially the attribute of Neptune or Poseidon”
Modern English
English
trident
“a three-pronged spear or fork”