Meanings
- Ancient Greeknot comparablehuman sciencesConsisting of three prosodic feet, normally a spondee, dactyl, and spondee (or trochee), but admitting of some variations.
Pherecratean verses are sometimes combined in systems: but much more frequent are Glyconic systems closing with a Pherecratean.
1861, Hadley, Greek Gram., § 921Synonyms: Pherecratian, Pherecratic
plural Pherecrateans
- Ancient Greekhuman sciencesA Pherecratean verse.
Pherecratean verses are sometimes combined in systems: but much more frequent are Glyconic systems closing with a Pherecratean.
1861, Hadley, Greek Gram., § 921Synonyms: Pherecratian, Pherecratic
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveConsisting of three prosodic feet, normally a spondee, dactyl, and spondee (or trochee), but admitting of some variations.
nounA Pherecratean metre.
nounA Pherecratean verse.
Origin
- Ancient GreekΦερεκρᾰ́τειος
- LatinPherecratēus
- EnglishPherecratean
From Latin Pherecratēus, by-form of Pherecratīus, from Ancient Greek Φερεκρᾰ́τειος (Pherekrắteios), from Φερεκρᾰ́της (Pherekrắtēs, “Pherecrates”), the name of the metre’s inventor.
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek Φερεκρᾰ́τειος, Φερεκρᾰ́τειον
- Φερεκρᾰ́τειος (Pherekrắteios)consisting of three feet, spondee–dactyl–spondee or spondee–dactyl–trochee
- Φερεκρᾰ́τειον (Pherekrắteion)Pherecratean metre
French phérécratien
- phérécratienconsisting of three feet, spondee–dactyl–spondee or spondee–dactyl–trochee
German pherekratisch, Pherekrateus
- pherekratischconsisting of three feet, spondee–dactyl–spondee or spondee–dactyl–trochee
- PherekrateusPherecratean verse
Latin Pherecratīus, Pherecratīum
- Pherecratīusconsisting of three feet, spondee–dactyl–spondee or spondee–dactyl–trochee
- PherecratīumPherecratean metre
Cite this entry
Pherecratean. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pherecratean
“Pherecratean.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pherecratean. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Pherecratean,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pherecratean.
Source: Pherecratean on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.