Meanings
proper noun
- Greekhuman sciencesA celebrated legendary highwayman of Attica, who tied his victims upon an iron bed, and, as the case required, either stretched or cut off their legs to adapt them to its length.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
- Proto-Indo-European*pér
- Proto-Indo-European*pró
- Ancient Greekπρό (pró)
- Ancient Greekπρο-
- Proto-Indo-European*krews-
- Ancient Greekκρούω
- Ancient Greekπροκρούω (prokroúō)
- Ancient GreekΠροκρούστης (Prokroústēs)
- EnglishProcrustes
Borrowed from Ancient Greek Προκρούστης (Prokroústēs).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek Προκρούστης
- Προκρούστης (Prokroústēs)legendary highwayman of Attica
Dutch Procrustes
- Procrusteslegendary highwayman of Attica
Esperanto Prokrusto
- Prokrustolegendary highwayman of Attica
Estonian Prokrustes
- Prokrusteslegendary highwayman of Attica
Finnish Prokrustes
- Prokrusteslegendary highwayman of Attica
French Procuste, Procruste
- Procustelegendary highwayman of Attica
- Procrustelegendary highwayman of Attica
German Prokrustes
- Prokrusteslegendary highwayman of Attica
Greek Προκρούστης
- Προκρούστης (Prokroústis)legendary highwayman of Attica
Italian Procuste
- Procustelegendary highwayman of Attica
Latin Procrustes
- Procrusteslegendary highwayman of Attica
Norwegian Bokmål Prokrustes
- Prokrusteslegendary highwayman of Attica
Polish Prokrust
- Prokrustlegendary highwayman of Attica
Spanish Procusto
- Procustolegendary highwayman of Attica
Cite this entry
APA
Procrustes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Procrustes
MLA
“Procrustes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Procrustes. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Procrustes,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Procrustes.
Source: Procrustes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.