Doric

[ dawr-ik, dor- ]

/ ˈdɔr ɪk, ˈdɒr- /

Save This Word!

adjective

of or relating to Doris, its inhabitants, or their dialect.

rustic, as a dialect.

Architecture. noting or pertaining to one of the five classical orders, developed in Greece and altered by the Romans. The Greek Doric order consists typically of a channeled column without a base, having as a capital a circular echinus supporting a square abacus, above which come a plain architrave, a frieze of triglyphs and metopes, and a cornice, the corona of which has mutules on its soffit. In the Roman Doric order, the columns usually have bases, the channeling is sometimes altered or omitted, and the capital usually consists of three parts: a thick, bandlike necking, an echinus with an ovolo outline, and a molded abacus.Compare composite (def. 2), Corinthian (def. 2), Ionic (def. 1), Tuscan (def. 2).

noun

a dialect of ancient Greek spoken on Rhodes and other islands of the Dodecanese, in Crete, in Syracuse, and in all of the Peloponnesus except Arcadia.

rustic English speech.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Doric

1555–65; <Latin Dōricus<Greek Dōrikós Dorian

OTHER WORDS FROM Doric

pre-Doric, adjective

Words nearby Doric

Doreen, do-re-mi, Dorgon, Dorian, Dorian mode, Doric, Doriden, Doris, dorje, dork, Dorking

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Doric in a sentence

The later Doric was less massive than the earlier, but more rich in sculptured ornaments.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume I|John Lord
The fluting of the Doric column will thus be finished in the style appropriate to it.
Ten Books on Architecture|Vitruvius
Attic doorways are built with the same proportions as Doric.
Ten Books on Architecture|Vitruvius
Mr. Horbury would begin to instruct the form as to the difference between Ionic and Doric.
The Secret Glory|Arthur Machen

It is a fine specimen of the Doric order, and very fortunately it is in a good state of preservation.
From the Thames to the Tiber|J. Wardle

British Dictionary definitions for Doric

Doric

/ (ˈdɒrɪk) /

adjective

of or relating to the Dorians, esp the Spartans, or their dialect of Ancient Greek

of, denoting, or relating to one of the five classical orders of architecture: characterized by a column having no base, a heavy fluted shaft, and a capital consisting of an ovolo moulding beneath a square abacusSee also Ionic, composite (def. 4), Corinthian, Tuscan

(sometimes not capital) rustic

noun

one of four chief dialects of Ancient Greek, spoken chiefly in the PeloponneseCompare Aeolic, Arcadic, Ionic See also Attic (def. 3)

any rural dialect, esp that spoken in the northeast of Scotland

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Doric

Doric

One of the three main styles of Greek architecture (the others are Corinthian and Ionic). The Doric column is heavy and fluted; its capital is plain.