"figure consisting of three branches radiating from a center," 1880, earlier triskelos (1857), from Greek triskeles "three-legged," from tri- "three" (see tri-) + skelos "leg" (see scoliosis).
Entries linking to triskelion
tri-
word-forming element meaning "three, having three, once every three," from Latin tres (neuter tria) or Greek treis, trias "three" (see three).
scoliosis n.
"lateral curvature of the spine," 1706, medical Latin, from Latinized form of Greek skoliosis "crookedness," from skolios "bent, curved," from PIE root *skel- "bend, curve," with derivatives referring to crooked parts of the body (as in Greek skelos "leg, limb; Latin scelus "malice, badness, crime;" Old High German scelah, Old English sceolh "oblique, curved, squinting;" Albanian çalë "lame"). Distinguished from lordosis and kyphosis. Related: Scoliotic.