Sapphic
Americanadjective
noun
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Greek Literature. a verse using certain meters or forms used by or named after Sappho.
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Slang. Sometimes sapphic a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted to other women.
adjective
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prosody denoting a metre associated with Sappho, consisting generally of a trochaic pentameter line with a dactyl in the third foot
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of or relating to Sappho or her poetry
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lesbian
noun
Usage
What's the difference between Sapphic and lesbian? See gay ( def. ).
Etymology
Origin of Sapphic
First recorded in 1495–1505; from Latin sapphicus, from Greek sapphikós, equivalent to Sapph(ṓ) the name of a famous Greek poet ( see Sappho ( def. )) + -ikos adjective suffix; see -ic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Romance: In “An Island Princess Starts a Scandal” by Adriana Herrera, a Venezuelan heiress has a few weeks to live her best Sapphic life before she must marry a dull man.
From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2023
"I did not have Madonna comes out on TikTok by throwing underwear at a basketball hoop on my Sapphic Mad Libs Bingo card today, but I don't mind being surprised," says Autostraddle writer Heather Hogan.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2022
Malinda Lo is a Chinese American lesbian immigrant who primarily writes Sapphic YA fantasy and historical fiction.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 1, 2022
Although not owned by an LGBTQ+ person, Supernova has a reputation for amplifying queer talent, and owner Zac Levine helped the Sapphic Seattle organizers successfully scale up their formerly intimate-sized events.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 2, 2022
An English Sapphic Dim were the stars, and clouded was the azure, Silence in darkness brooded on the ocean, Save when the wave upon the pebbled sea-beach Faintly resounded.
From The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 4 Poems and Plays by Mary Lamb
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