Etymology

iconoclast

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Today it means: One who destroys religious images or icons, especially an opponent of the Orthodox Church in the 8th and 9th centuries, or a Puritan during the European Reformation. Full definition →

French iconoclaste ← Medieval Latin īconoclastēs ← Medieval Greek εἰκονοκλάστης
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The story

  1. Medieval Greek · derived fromεἰκονοκλάστης
  2. Medieval Latin · borrowed fromīconoclastēs
  3. French · borrowed fromiconoclaste
  4. English todayiconoclast

Borrowed from French iconoclaste and its etymon Medieval Latin īconoclastēs, from Medieval Greek εἰκονοκλάστης (eikonoklástēs, literally “image breaker”). By surface analysis, icono- + -clast.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.