fescennine

[ fes-uh-nahyn, -nin ]

/ ˈfɛs əˌnaɪn, -nɪn /

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adjective

scurrilous; licentious; obscene: fescennine mockery.

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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.

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Origin of fescennine

1595–1605; <Latin Fescennīnus of, belonging to Fescennia, a town in Etruria noted for jesting and scurrilous verse; see -ine¹

Words nearby fescennine

fervid, Fervidor, fervor, fervour, Fès, fescennine, fescue, fescue foot, fess, fesse, Fessenden

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How to use fescennine in a sentence

The principal constituent element in this Fescennine poetry was obscene mockery.
The Oxford Book of Latin Verse|Various
But just as it takes two to make a quarrel, so the obscene mockery of the Fescennine verses required two principals.
The Oxford Book of Latin Verse|Various
Fescennine verses of the Romans, which were used at weddings and triumphs, were intended to ward off ill luck.
Folkways|William Graham Sumner
The original Fescennine verse appears, from the testimony of Horace, to have been in metrical dialogue.
The Roman Poets of the Republic|William Young Sellar

The Fescennine raillery long retained traces of this original character.
The Roman Poets of the Republic|William Young Sellar

British Dictionary definitions for fescennine

Fescennine

/ (ˈfɛsɪˌnaɪn) /

adjective

rare scurrilous or obscene

Word Origin for Fescennine

C17: from Latin Fescennīnus of Fescennia, a city in Etruria noted for the production of mocking or obscene verse

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