torii
[ tawr-ee-ee ]
noun,plural to·ri·i.
(in Japan) a form of decorative gateway or portal, consisting of two upright wooden posts connected at the top by two horizontal crosspieces, commonly found at the entrance to Shinto shrines.
Origin of torii
1First recorded in 1720–30; from Japanese, equivalent to tori “bird” + (w)i “perch”
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British Dictionary definitions for torii
torii
/ (ˈtɔːrɪˌiː) /
nounplural -rii
a gateway, esp one at the entrance to a Japanese Shinto temple
Origin of torii
1C19: from Japanese, literally: a perch for birds
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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