herma

herm, herma (sculptural pillar)

noun EHR-mah Rare

Origin: From Latin herma, from Greek Hermes (the god whose head topped these pillars).

Usage Note

Herma (also hermes) is an art-history term for a rectangular stone pillar topped with a carved head, originating in ancient Greece as boundary markers dedicated to Hermes. Later Greco-Roman versions depicted other deities. Do not confuse with the proper name Hermes or the Spanish feminine name Herma.

Examples

"Encontraron una herma de mármol en las excavaciones."

Natural Translation

They found a marble herm during the excavations.

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