Teutonic

[too-ton-ik, tyoo-]

adjective

of or relating to the ancient Teutons.
of, relating to, or characteristic of the Teutons or Germans; German.
noting or pertaining to the northern European stock that includes the German, Dutch, Scandinavian, British, and related peoples.

(of languages) Germanic.
Nordic.

noun

Germanic.

Origin of Teutonic

First recorded in 1580–90; Teuton + -ic

Related formsTeu·ton·i·cal·ly, adverban·ti-Teu·ton·ic, adjectivenon-Teu·ton·ic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for teutonic

Contemporary Examples of teutonic

Yet by equating their engineering with Teutonic rigor the Germans have created the impression of an exclusive proprietary quality.
Nationalism on Four Wheels
Clive Irving
October 18, 2014
The Germans knew they had a special sea creature in their Teutonic grip.
The Amazing Tale of Paul the Psychic Octopus: Germany’s World Cup Soothsayer
Emily Shire
July 12, 2014
He conducted a 24-year-long war against Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, and the Teutonic Knights, and lost.
Russian History Is on Our Side: Putin Will Surely Screw Himself
P. J. O’Rourke
May 11, 2014
It was more about the way art looked: it should be as naturalistic as possible, and be made by Teutonic or Scandinavian artists.
Nazi Art Hoard Just the Tip of the Iceberg for Lost Art
Noah Charney
November 13, 2013
There's no Teutonic engineering magic to this impressive record.
Want to Keep AC On? Bury Power Lines.
David Frum
July 2, 2012

Historical Examples of teutonic

This was said in a guttural voice, the accent being quite Teutonic.
Melomaniacs
James Huneker
It is said to be a language of Latin roots with a Teutonic grammar.
A Short History of Spain
Mary Platt Parmele
"Awful," echoed Schomberg, in a Teutonic throaty tone of despair.
Victory
Joseph Conrad
Observe the Teutonic sense of proportion and nice forgiving temper.
Victory
Joseph Conrad
There was positively a smile in his noble Teutonic beard, the first smile for weeks.
Victory
Joseph Conrad

British Dictionary definitions for teutonic

Teutonic

adjective

characteristic of or relating to the German peopleTeutonic thoroughness
of or relating to the ancient Teutons
(not used in linguistics) of or relating to the Germanic languages

noun

an obsolete name for Germanic

Derived FormsTeutonically, adverb

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

Word Origin and History for teutonic

Teutonic

adj.

c.1600, "of or pertaining to the Germanic languages and to peoples or tribes who speak or spoke them," from Latin Teutonicus, from Teutones, name of a tribe that inhabited coastal Germany and devastated Gaul 113-101 B.C.E., probably from a Proto-Germanic word related to Old High German diot "people" (see Dutch), from *teuta, the common PIE word for "people" (cf. Lithuanian tauto, Oscan touto, Old Irish tuath, Gothic þiuda, Old English þeod).

Used in English in anthropology to avoid the modern political association of German; but in this anthropoligical sense French uses germanique and German uses germanisch, because neither uses its form of German for the narrower national meaning (cf. French allemand, see Alemanni; and German deutsch). In Finnish, Germany is Saksa "Land of the Saxons."

The Teutonic Knights (founded c.1191) were a military order of German knights formed for service in the Holy Land, but who later crusaded in then-pagan Prussia and Lithuania. The Teutonic cross (1882) was the badge of the order. Teuton "a German" is attested from 1833.