ostracon
or os·tra·kon
[ os-truh-kon ]
/ ˈɒs trəˌkɒn /
noun, plural os·tra·ca [os-truh-kuh] /ˈɒs trə kə/.
(in ancient Greece) a potsherd, especially one used as a ballot on which the name of a person voted to be ostracized was inscribed.
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Origin of ostracon
1880–85; < Greek óstrakon; see ostracize
Words nearby ostracon
ostpreussen, ostracism, ostracize, ostracod, ostracoderm, ostracon, ostrakon, ostranenie, ostrava, ostrich, ostrich fern
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for ostraca
Here the papyri and ostraca have put a large material at our disposal, but the circumstances in Egypt3 4.
The ostraca, or rough notes of work accounts, and plans drawn on pieces of limestone or pottery.
British Dictionary definitions for ostraca
ostracon
/ (ˈɒstrəˌkɒn) /
noun
(in ancient Greece) a potsherd used for ostracizing
Word Origin for ostracon
from Greek
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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