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trı̄-klin´ti-um (Latin from Greek Ï„ÏικλιÌνιον, triklıÌnion, from tri and klıÌneÌ„, “a couchâ€): A couch for reclining at meals among the ancient Romans, arranged along three sides of a square, the fourth side being left open for bringing in food or tables, when these were used. In the larger Roman houses the dining-rooms consisted of small alcoves in the atrium arranged to receive triclinia. In early Old Testament times people sat at their meals (; ; ; ). Reclining was a luxurious habit imported from foreign countries by the degenerate aristocracy in the days of the later prophets (; ). Still, we find it common in New Testament times (; ; , ; , ; ; , ; ; ; ; in these passages, though English Versions of the Bible read “sat,†the Greek words are anaÌkeimai, sunanaÌkeimai, anapıÌpto, kataÌkeimai and anaklıÌnoÌ„, all indicating “recliningâ€; compare ; ; here the King James Version translates these words “lean,†probably with reference to the Jewish custom of leaning at the Passover feast). In , the ruler or governor of the feast is called architrıÌklinos, that is, the master of the triclinium. See MEALS, III.