pentaptych means A five-part polyptych; a picture, or combination of pictures, consisting of a centrepiece and double folding doors or wings, as for an altarpiece. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.
Why “pentaptych” is a great word
PENTAPTYCH — [Noun] A composite artwork, particularly an altarpiece, consisting of five distinct but adjoining panels, typically arranged as a central panel flanked by two sets of hinged wings. From the combining form penta- ("five") and the Ancient Greek πτυχή (ptukhḗ, "a fold, layer, or plate"). Unlike a triptych, which is defined by its triad of panels, or a polyptych, a loose term for any multiplicity, a pentaptych is architecturally precise in its quintuple form. It is the heavy creak of wooden wings opening to a second, inner set; the incremental alignment of saints flanking a central, luminous deity; and the gilt catching candlelight panel by panel—a folded geometry of revelation, a physical argument for the layered nature of belief itself.
Etymology
From penta- + Ancient Greek πτυχή (ptukhḗ, “a fold”).
noun
- A five-part polyptych; a picture, or combination of pictures, consisting of a centrepiece and double folding doors or wings, as for an altarpiece.