noun
triptych
TRIP-tik/ˈtrɪptɪk/
A work made of three connected or closely related parts.
The open triptych shows one landscape across three hinged panels.
Etymology
The “three folds” connection runs through sets of three hinged writing tablets to three-panel pictures or carvings, often altarpieces. The deeper origin of the Greek word for “fold” is uncertain.
In context
a triptych at the Maagdenhuis in Antwerp
More examples
- Her novel is a triptych, with each section following a different sister.
- The museum displays two triptychs side by side.
- The filmmaker creates a triptych of stories set in the same town.
Forms
triptych · triptychs