Triptych

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈtɹɪp.tɪk/

Definitions

1. A group of three artistic works that are thematically linked, often displayed together to create a unified statement or story
2. A collection comprising three panels or segments that collectively express a coherent theme or narrative in the field of art
3. A three-part artwork that consists of panels or sections arranged together to convey a unified theme or artistic expression

Etymology: The word "triptych" started life in ancient Greece as an adjective, "tríptukhos", meaning "consisting of three layers" or "threefold". It combines "tri-", "three", with "ptukhḗ", "a fold", the same root that gives us words for folding or pleating. A thing that was threefold was, quite literally, something folded in three. That physical sense of folding is what made the leap to art possible. A painted panel with two hinged wings that close over a central picture can be folded shut like a book, and that is the form the artwork took. Medieval altarpieces were often built this way, so the name stuck to a three-part painting or carving whose sections were meant to be seen together.

Synonyms: panel, three-part artwork