Definition: Caryatids were draped female figures used instead of columns to support the entablatures of temples. They are named after the women of a Spartan town (Karyai), according to Vitruvius.
The most famous caryatids are on the porch of the Erechtheum (420-415 B.C.), on the Acropolis.
They are sometimes called korai maidens.
For more on Caryatids, read Dorothy King's PhDiva Blog article on Caryatids.