Trivet
/ˈtrɪvɪt/noun
A three-legged stand for supporting a hot dish or cooking vessel.
Did you know?Trivet is ultimately tied to Latin *tripes*/*trivium*-type “three-footed” formations in the Romance languages, and its meaning stayed stubbornly practical rather than magical—though it still feels like a ritual object for fire.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
tripēs
“three-footed”
Late Latin / Romance
Romance
tripetum / trivetum
“a three-legged stand or support”
Old French
Old French
trivet
“a three-footed support, especially for a pot”
Middle English
English
trivet
“a three-legged stand for a vessel or dish”
Modern English
English
trivet
“a stand used to hold hot dishes or cookware”