tripod

noun

tri·​pod ˈtrī-ˌpäd 

1

: a three-legged stand (as for a camera)

2

: a stool, table, or altar with three legs

3

: a vessel (such as a cauldron) resting on three legs

tripod adjective

or tripodal

ˈtri-pə-dᵊl 

ˈtrī-ˌpä-

Examples of tripod in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If your camera doesn't have stabilization, remember to bring a tripod along for long exposures and grab a gimbal for stable vlogs. —PCMAG, 2 Dec. 2024

Jojo was ready with her .243 clamped into a tripod. —Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024

Selfie sticks, iPhone tripods, baby microphones as far as the eye could see. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2024

As such, the official desktop stand accessory or a third-party sturdy tripod should be considered as essential purchase alongside this, and a standard mount screw is present on the underside to accommodate these. —Benny Har-Even, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin tripod-, tripus, from Greek tripod-, tripous, from tripod-, tripous, adjective, three-footed, from tri- + pod-, pous foot — more at foot

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

tripod

noun

tri·​pod ˈtrī-ˌpäd 

1

: something (as a container or stool) resting on three legs

2

: a three-legged stand (as for a camera)

Medical Definition

tripod

noun

tri·​pod ˈtrī-ˌpäd 

: a bone having three processes