ithyphallic
Syllables: ithy·phall·ic/ˌɪθɪˈfælɪk/US/ˌɪθɪˈfælɪk/
ithyphallic adjective: of or pertaining to the erect phallus that was carried in bacchic processions.
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Adjective
ithyphallic (comparative more ithyphallic, superlative most ithyphallic)
- Of or pertaining to the erect phallus that was carried in bacchic processions.
- The title ΣΟΤΗΡ ΚΟΣΜΟΥ upon the composite priapic figure published by La Chausse is well known; and it is probable that the ithyphallic ceremonies, which the gross flattery of the degenerate Greeks sometimes employed to honor the Macedonian princes, had the same meaning as this title of Saviour...1822 June, R. P. Knight, “An Inquiry into the Symbolical Language of Ancient Art and Mythology”, in The Classical Journal, volume XXV, number L, London: Printed by A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […]; sold...
- In late classical and Hellenistic times the theatre could be the site of a prolonged and climactic performance by phallic choruses: Hyperides mentions the ithyphalloi dancing in the orchestra and Semos' account of both ithyphalloi and phallophoroi focuses on the moment that the choruses enter the...2013, Eric Csapo, “Comedy and the Pompe: Dionysian Genre-crossing”, in E[mmanuela] Bakola, L[ucia] Prauscello, M[ario] Telò, editors, Greek Comedy and the Discourse of Genres, Cambridge: Cambridge...
- Of a poem or song: having the metre of an ode sung in honour of the bacchic phallus.
- Ithyphallic verse, which, because it consists of one periodic order, ought to have all pure trochees, and admits no other foot, except a tribrach, […] and that scarcely in the last place, because the rhythm ought to be more remiss at the end, is used chiefly by lyric poets in place of an epode.1830, [Johann Gottfried Jakob] Hermann, “Of Ithyphallic Verse”, in John Seager, transl., Hermann’s Elements of the Doctrine of Metres, Abridged and Translated into English, London: Printed by...
- Archilochus and other writers of epodes frequently use the ithyphallic in distich composition, and in asynartete verses as the closing rhythm. The ithyphallic occurs sometimes in the beginning, or middle, […]1844, Edward Munk [i.e., Eduard Munk], “Rhythms, the Fundamental Foot of which is Tripletimed; the Double or Trochaic-Iambic Class”, in Charles Beck, C[ornelius] C[onway] Felton, transl., The Metres...
- Of or pertaining to an upward pointing, erect penis; (specifically) of an artistic depiction of a deity or other figure: possessing an erect penis.
- Phthas, the inscription in phonetic hieroglyphs Ptah, in close-fitting dress, with the feet joined together, leaning on the platform consisting of four steps[…]. Also dwarfish and ithyphallic as in the temple at Memphis[…].1852, C[arl] O[tfried] Müller [i.e., Karl Otfried Müller]; F[riedrich] G[ottlieb] Welcker, “Appendix. The Nations Not of Greek Race.”, in John Leitch, transl., Ancient Art and Its Remains; or A...
- Hence the ubiquity of Priapus himself as a sculptural representative of the generative principle, populated the Roman gardens, assertive in ithyphallic pose.1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page iii
- Synonyms:
- priapic
- Lascivious, obscene.
- [I]t is specially desirable to be able to discern the difference […] between the "εὐνῇ καὶ φιλότητι" or "φιλότητι καὶ εὐνῇ μιγῆναι" of the Iliad and Odyssey, and an ithyphallic audacity that insults what is most sacred and decent among men.1856 November, “Leaves of Grass. [By Walt Whitman.] Brooklyn, N.Y. 1855. 4to. pp. 95. Leaves of Grass. Brooklyn, N.Y. 1856. 16mo. pp. 384. [book review]”, in The Christian Examiner and Religious...
- Pertaining to a metrical combination of two trochees followed by one spondee.
Noun
ithyphallic (plural ithyphallics)
- A poem or song in an ithyphallic metre.
- And vvanton Catullus, comparing a heauie fellovv, vnvvorthily bleſt vvith a Delicacie in the marriage bed, to a log, hath this Ithyphallique: Talis iſte meus Stupor nil videt, nihil audit. [Such a dolt as this one of mine sees nothing, hears nothing.]1614, John Selden, chapter VI, in Titles of Honor, London: […] William Stansby for Iohn Helme, […], →OCLC, 1st part, page 117
- We may, therefore, assume two epochs for the Saturnian verse. In the first epoch, until Livius and Saevius, its measure is yet very unsettled; the rhythm is, however, evidently trochaic. It usually corresponds to two ithyphallics, sometimes with, sometimes without an anacrusis before the first...1844, Edward Munk [i.e., Eduard Munk], “Composition by the Line (Stichic Composition)”, in Charles Beck, C[ornelius] C[onway] Felton, transl., The Metres of the Greeks and Romans. A Manual for...
- A lascivious or obscene poem or song.
- I omit noticing some edifying Ithyphallics of Savagius, wishing to keep the proper veil over them, if his grave but somewhat indiscreet worshipper will suffer it; but certainly these teachers of "great moral lessons" are apt to be found in strange company.1822 October 15, Quevedo Redivivus [pseudonym; Lord Byron], “The Vision of Judgment: Preface”, in The Liberal. Verse and Prose from the South, 2nd edition, volume I, number I, London: […] John Hunt...
ithyphallic meaning in Sanskrit and Thai
ithyphallic in Sanskrit
- of or pertaining to the erect phallus
- ऊर्ध्वरेत ūrdhvareta
ithyphallic in Thai
- of or pertaining to the erect phallus
- ที่มีอวัยวะเพศชายแข็งตัว têe mee awaiwá pâyt chaai kăeng dtua
- lascivious, obscene — see also lascivious, obscene
- ลามก laa-mók, อนาจาร à-naa-jaan
Examples of ithyphallic in a sentence
- But the ithyphalloi remained primarily processional and non-theatrical, as is clear from Demochares' account of the ithyphallic procession to meet Demetrius the Besieger.2013, Eric Csapo, “Comedy and the Pompe: Dionysian Genre-crossing”, in E[mmanuela] Bakola, L[ucia] Prauscello, M[ario] Telò, editors, Greek...
- The middle finger is commonly held up as an ithyphallic insult, as is the thumb in the sign of the fig.1974, Rupert C. Allen, “Part One. Psyche and Symbol in Perlimplín.”, in Psyche and Symbol in the Theater of Federico García Lorca...
- At Asanpat in Keonjhar district an eight-armed ithyphallic sculpture of a dancing Shiva was found.1987, M[anohar] L[axman] Varadpande, “Contribution of Religion”, in History of Indian Theatre, volume 1, New Delhi: Shakti Malik, Abhinav...
- It usually corresponds to two ithyphallics, sometimes with, sometimes without an anacrusis before the first ithyphallic.1844, Edward Munk [i.e., Eduard Munk], “Composition by the Line (Stichic Composition)”, in Charles Beck, C[ornelius] C[onway] Felton...
Synonyms of ithyphallic
27 more synonymsFewer synonyms
Forms of ithyphallic
| Adjective | |
|---|---|
| comparative | more ithyphallic |
| superlative | most ithyphallic |
| Noun | |
| plural | ithyphallics |
Origin of ithyphallic
Borrowed from Late Latin ithyphallicus, from Ancient Greek ἰθυφαλλικός (ithuphallikós), from ῑ̓θῠ́φαλλος (īthŭ́phallos, “phallus carried in festivals of Bacchus; ode sung in honour of the phallus; dance accompanying such an ode; dancer performing such a dance”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘of or pertaining to’). ῑ̓θῠ́φαλλος is derived from ἰθῠ́ς (ithŭ́s) (variant of εὐθῠ́ς (euthŭ́s, “straight”)) + φαλλός (phallós, “penis; image of a penis, phallus”). The English word can be analysed as ithyphallus + -ic. As regards the noun, compare Latin ithyphallicum (“poem with the same metre as the hymns to Priapus”).
Words that rhyme with ithyphallic
Questions about ithyphallic
- What does ithyphallic mean?
- Ithyphallic means of or pertaining to the erect phallus that was carried in bacchic processions.
- What is ithyphallic in Sanskrit?
- Ithyphallic in Sanskrit is ऊर्ध्वरेत (ūrdhvareta). See Ithyphallic meaning in Sanskrit.
- How do you use ithyphallic in a sentence?
- But the ithyphalloi remained primarily processional and non-theatrical, as is clear from Demochares' account of the ithyphallic procession to meet Demetrius the Besieger.
- What part of speech is ithyphallic?
- Ithyphallic can be an adjective or a noun.
- How do you pronounce ithyphallic?
- Ithyphallic is pronounced /ˌɪθɪˈfælɪk/ (UK).
Words near ithyphallic in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: ithyphallic (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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