káros

Kóros is the transliteration of the Ancient Greek term Κόρος (kouros), meaning youth or young man. In art history, the word is most closely associated with the kouros statues, a distinct type of Archaic Greek sculpture depicting standing nude male youths. These figures were produced from roughly the mid-7th to the early 5th century BCE and served ritual, commemorative, or votive purposes, often placed at gravesites or sanctuaries.

Kouros statues share several characteristic features. They typically stand with one leg forward in a rigid, frontal pose, arms straight at the sides, and a formulaic, stylized anatomy. The faces are expressionless, with wide eyes and a calm, idealized countenance. Early examples are more blocky and schematic, while later works show gradual shifts toward naturalism and greater anatomical refinement as Greek sculpture progressed into the Classical period, exemplified by figures such as the Kritios Boy.

The feminine counterpart to the kouros is the kore (girl or maiden), and together these forms document a development in Archaic Greek sculpture toward increased naturalism and proportion in the Classical era. In modern usage, Kóros may appear as a direct transliteration of the Greek term for youth and can be found in scholarly writings, classical studies, and discussions of ancient sculpture, sometimes extending to personal or place names in Greek-language contexts. See also Kouros, Kore, Archaic Greece.