metaphrast

[ met-uh-frast ]

/ ˈmɛt əˌfræst /

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noun

a person who translates or changes a literary work from one form to another, as prose into verse.

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of metaphrast

1600–10; Medieval Greek metaphrástēs one who translates, equivalent to *metaphrad-, base of metaphrázein to translate (see meta-, phrase) + -tēs agent suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM metaphrast

met·a·phras·tic, met·a·phras·ti·cal, adjectivemet·a·phras·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby metaphrast

metaphorical, metaphorically, metaphosphate, metaphosphoric acid, metaphrase, metaphrast, metaphys., metaphysial dysostosis, metaphysial dysplasia, metaphysic, metaphysical

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

British Dictionary definitions for metaphrast

metaphrast

/ (ˈmɛtəˌfræst) /

noun

a person who metaphrases, esp one who changes the form of a text, as by rendering verse into prose

Derived forms of metaphrast

metaphrastic or metaphrastical, adjectivemetaphrastically, adverb

Word Origin for metaphrast

C17: from Medieval Greek metaphrastēs translator

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