"Caryatid" Natural Recordings by Native Speakers
A caryatid is a sculptural figure, typically a female, that supports a roof or other structure in place of a pillar or column. The term comes from the Greek mythological figure, Caryatis, who, with her sisters, was transformed into a column to make up the frieze of the Erechtheion in Athens. In architecture, the use of human figures as structural supports is known as a caryatid porch.