Sapphic

American  

[saf-ik] / ˈsæf ɪk /

adjective

1. Sometimes sapphic

   1. lesbian.

   2. of, relating to, or being a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted to other women, used especially as an umbrella term for all women who are attracted to women.

2. pertaining to Sappho or to certain meters or a form of strophe or stanza used by or named after her.

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noun

1. Greek Literature. a verse using certain meters or forms used by or named after Sappho.

2. Slang. Sometimes sapphic a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted to other women.

Sapphic British  

/ ˈsæfɪk /

adjective

1. prosody denoting a metre associated with Sappho, consisting generally of a trochaic pentameter line with a dactyl in the third foot

2. of or relating to Sappho or her poetry

3. lesbian

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noun

1. prosody a verse, line, or stanza written in the Sapphic form

Usage

What's the difference between Sapphic and lesbian? See gay ( def. ).

Etymology

Origin of Sapphic

First recorded in 1495–1505; from Latin sapphicus, from Greek sapphikós, equivalent to Sapph(ṓ) the name of a famous Greek poet ( Sappho ( def. ) ) + -ikos adjective suffix; -ic

Example Sentences

While both straight women and gay men are obsessed with the Canadian series, the sapphic adoration for Williams is rooted in a deeper desire for romantic queer representation.

From Salon

The sapphic adoration for Hudson Williams is rooted in a deeper desire for romantic queer representation.

From Salon

However, the Canadian hockey series’ ostensibly novel trail has already been paved by sapphic television shows, many of which were slashed after one or two seasons by major streaming services.

From Salon

Billed as “the intergalactic sapphic pop show of your dreams,” the monthlong Give Me a Tour run was a joint effort with L.A. transplant Caroline Kingsbury, who featured on Maris’ retrowave track “Give Me a Sign.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Read them carefully. Otherwise your head just may explode at some point during this Los Angeles premiere, which presupposes an intimate familiarity with Czech history, the early rock scene and, oh, did we mention Sapphic poetry? It’s all a bit ostentatious and difficult to follow — but even at his most intellectually prolix, Stoppard is flat-out brilliant, arguably our greatest living playwright.”

From Los Angeles Times