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-
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The cameras, 30 of which will be initially available to existing Pagani owners, can be customized to match the leather and paint finishes of vehicles, and will be accompanied by a custom Gitzo tripod and matching travel cases. 
Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2022 In 1983, photographer Baldwin Lee set out from Knoxville, Tennessee, with a map of the southeastern U.S., a 4×5 view camera and a tripod. Christopher Ross, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2022 For this, use a wide-angle lens, with a focal length from 14 to 24 millimeters, with your camera on a stable tripod. Eric Adams, Popular Mechanics, 15 July 2022 The Lost Daughter movie is Maggie Gyllenhaal’s first as a director, and with Olivia Colman in the lead and Ferrante as the source material, the film rests on an exceptionally sturdy tripod of female genius. Jo Livingstone, The New Republic, 7 Jan. 2022 Therm-a-Rest did something brilliant by using a heavy-duty plastic tripod to anchor the folding base and double as a protective cover for the entire structure. Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 18 May 2015 With a view camera on a tripod, the Bechers documented this vernacular architecture as meticulously as Ansel Adams photographed Yosemite. Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 18 July 2022 This tripod is compatible with most popular smartphones, including iPhones, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, and more. Camryn Rabideau, Popular Mechanics, 16 July 2022 Adams had been using a large 4-by-5-inch camera, which required a tripod, and produced wonderfully detailed images. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 27 June 2022 See More
Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2022 In 1983, photographer Baldwin Lee set out from Knoxville, Tennessee, with a map of the southeastern U.S., a 4×5 view camera and a tripod. Christopher Ross, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2022 For this, use a wide-angle lens, with a focal length from 14 to 24 millimeters, with your camera on a stable tripod. Eric Adams, Popular Mechanics, 15 July 2022 The Lost Daughter movie is Maggie Gyllenhaal’s first as a director, and with Olivia Colman in the lead and Ferrante as the source material, the film rests on an exceptionally sturdy tripod of female genius. Jo Livingstone, The New Republic, 7 Jan. 2022 Therm-a-Rest did something brilliant by using a heavy-duty plastic tripod to anchor the folding base and double as a protective cover for the entire structure. Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 18 May 2015 With a view camera on a tripod, the Bechers documented this vernacular architecture as meticulously as Ansel Adams photographed Yosemite. Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 18 July 2022 This tripod is compatible with most popular smartphones, including iPhones, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, and more. Camryn Rabideau, Popular Mechanics, 16 July 2022 Adams had been using a large 4-by-5-inch camera, which required a tripod, and produced wonderfully detailed images. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 27 June 2022 See More 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 stand (as for a camera) having three legs
Medical Definition
tripod
noun
tri·pod ˈtrī-ˌpäd
: a bone having three processes