pediment

[ ped-uh-muhnt ]

noun

1. (in classical architecture) a low gable, typically triangular with a horizontal cornice and raking cornices, surmounting a colonnade, an end wall, or a major division of a façade.
2. any imitation of this, often fancifully treated, used to crown an opening, a monument, etc., or to form part of a decorative scheme.
3. Geology. a gently sloping rock surface at the foot of a steep slope, as of a mountain, usually thinly covered with alluvium.

pediment

/ ˈpɛdɪmənt /

noun

1. a low-pitched gable, esp one that is triangular, as used in classical architecture
2. a gently sloping rock surface, formed through denudation under arid conditions

pediment

/ pĕd′ə-mənt /

1. A broad, gently sloping rock surface at the base of a steeper slope such as a mountain, often covered with alluvium. Pediments are formed through the exposure of bedrock by erosional processes, such as the flow of water. Pediments are usually found in arid regions where there is little vegetation to hold the overlying soil.

Derived Forms

• ˌpediˈmental, adjective

Other Words From

• ped·i·men·tal [ped-, uh, -, men, -tl], adjective
• ped·i·ment·ed [ped, -, uh, -men-tid, -m, uh, n-], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pediment¹

1655–65; earlier pedament, pedement, alteration, by association with Latin pēs (stem ped- ) foot, of earlier peremint, perhaps an unlearned alteration of pyramid; pediment ( def 3 ) by construal as pedi- + -ment

Word History and Origins

Origin of pediment¹

C16: from obsolete periment, perhaps workman's corruption of pyramid

Example Sentences

Someone else placed a copy of Franz Kafka’s “The Trial” at the pediment, while others hung chains of paper cranes, candles, and a photo of Mr. Navalny smiling with fellow opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was assassinated in 2015 in the shadow of the Kremlin.

From New York Times

Her casket will be carried up the steps in front of the court, passing under the iconic words engraved on the pediment, “Equal Justice Under Law,” and placed in the court’s Great Hall.

From Seattle Times

Unfortunately for the cause of intelligent discourse, his statement was erected upon a pediment of lies.

From Los Angeles Times

Closed to the public for decades but a popular site for photos because of its neoclassical facade featuring six giant columns supporting a triangular pediment, the building in Philadelphia’s Old City was constructed between 1795 and 1797 and was the first structure designed specifically for the new federal government in what was then the nation’s capital.

From Seattle Times

They repeat around the building’s pediment.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• basement
• bed
• floor
• ground
• seat
• underside