Illustration of triton
- triton 2
1
capitalized
: a son of Poseidon described as a demigod of the sea with the lower part of his body like that of a fish
2
[New Latin, genus name, from Latin Triton]
: any of various large marine gastropod mollusks (family Ranellidae synonym Cymatiidae) with a heavy elongated conical shell
also
: the shell
Did you know?
Triton and Mermaids
Triton was originally the son of the sea god Poseidon (or Neptune). A guardian of the fish and other creatures of the sea, he is usually shown as hearty, muscular, and cheerful. Like his father, he often carries a trident (three-pronged fork) and may ride in a chariot drawn by seahorses. Blowing on his conch shell, he creates the roar of the ocean. As a decorative image, Tritons are simply the male version of mermaids. The handsome seashells that bear their name are the very conchs on which they blow. Triton has also given his name to the planet Neptune's largest moon.
Examples of triton in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Eugene Ostashevsky, The New York Review of Books, 4 May 2023
Sculptural figures including tritons, mythical sea gods, are rendered in more detail on the front and back.
—Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 25 Apr. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
It is said that the nymphs are departed, the tritons are departed, and those who had lived in these apartments and also those who had lived in those apartments.
—Eugene Ostashevsky, The New York Review of Books, 4 May 2023
Sculptural figures including tritons, mythical sea gods, are rendered in more detail on the front and back.
—Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 25 Apr. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near triton
Cite this Entry
“Triton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triton. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share