Nearby words
ostracism, ostracize, ostracod, ostracoderm, ostracon, ostrakon, ostranenie, ostrava, ostrich, ostrich fern, ostringer
Definition for ostrakon (2 of 2)
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.
Origin of ostracon
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for ostrakon
From ostrakon, a tile; the voter wrote the name on a tile or shell.
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind|Herbert George WellsThen each voter received a shell (Greek, ostrakon), and dropped it into a place made for that purpose.
The Story of the Greeks|H. A. GuerberOne of their most interesting games, and one which you would all enjoy, was the twirling of the ostrakon.
British Dictionary definitions for ostrakon
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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