Acrolith

/ˈækrəlɪθ/ noun

Definition

An ancient Greek statue where the head, hands, and feet were made of marble or stone while the body was made of wood.

Etymology

From Greek 'akron' (peak/extremity) + 'lithos' (stone). This refers to how Greek sculptors economized by only carving the visible extremities in expensive marble and using cheaper wood for the hidden body parts beneath draped clothing.

Kelly Says

Ancient Greek sculptors were basically the original recyclers—by only sculpting the parts you could see, they saved tons of marble and money while creating masterpieces that still blow us away today!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.