adj. Having a double row of columns on all sides, as certain Greek temples. [From Greek dipteros, temple with a double peristyle : di-, di- + pteron, feather, wing; see pet- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] ![]() (click for a larger image) dipteralafter a plan of the Temple of Apollo Didyma, Turkey |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.