torii

[ tawr-ee-ee ]

noun,plural to·ri·i.
  1. (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

1
First 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
  1. a gateway, esp one at the entrance to a Japanese Shinto temple

Origin of torii

1
C19: 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