Anacreontic
Americanadjective
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in the manner of the Greek lyric poet Anacreon (?572–?488 bc ), noted for his short songs celebrating love and wine
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(of verse) in praise of love or wine; amatory or convivial
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Anacreontic
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin Anacreōnticus, equivalent to Anacreōnt- (from Greek Anakreōnt-, stem of Anakréōn ) Anacreon + -icus adjective suffix; see -ic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And before Key’s “Banner” the most well-known version of “The Anacreontic Song” was the 1798 “Adams and Liberty,” an attempt to win support for John Adams during his contentious Presidency.
From The New Yorker • Aug. 29, 2016
He wrote the poem “In Defense of Fort McHenry,” which was later set to the tune of a British song called “The Anacreontic Song” and eventually became the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
From Textbooks • Dec. 30, 2014
The Anacreontic Song was well known in the early American republic — most famously as “Adams and Liberty,” an impassioned defense of the second president.
From New York Times • Jun. 27, 2014
The Anacreontic Society faded out, I think toward the end of the 18th century,” White said.
From Washington Post
‘Witty things, and occasionally Anacreontic: and they have the originality which such a style must naturally possess when carried out by a feminine hand,’ said Ladywell.
From The Hand of Ethelberta by Hardy, Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
