Pyrrhic — (1) 1885 (usually in phrase Pyrrhic victory), from Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, who defeated Roman armies at Asculum, 280 B.C.E., but at such cost to his own troops that he was unable to follow up and attack Rome itself, and is said to have remarked … Etymology dictionary
pyrrhic — pyrrhic1 [pir′ik] n. [L pyrrhicha < Gr pyrrhichē, war dance] a war dance of the ancient Greeks pyrrhic2 [pir′ik] n. [L pyrrhichius < Gr pyrrhichios (pous), pyrrhic (foot)] a metrical foot of two short or unaccented syllables adj. of or made … English World dictionary
Pyrrhic — Pyr rhic, n. 1. [Gr. ?: cf. F. pyrrhique, fem.] An ancient Greek martial dance, to the accompaniment of the flute, its time being very quick. [1913 Webster] 2. [L. pyrrhichius (sc. pes), Gr. ? (sc. ?): cf. F. pyrrhique, masc.] (Pros.) A foot… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
pyrrhic — (2) dance in armor (1590s), also a type of metrical foot (1620s), from L. pyrrhicha, from Gk. pyrrikhe orkhesis, the war dance of ancient Greece, traditionally named for its inventor, Pyrrikhos. The name means reddish, from pyrros flame colored,… … Etymology dictionary
pyrrhic — used of a victory won at too great cost to be of use to the victor, is named after Pyrrhus, the king of Epirus who defeated a Roman army at Asculum in 279 bc but sustained heavy losses and was unable to exploit his success … Modern English usage
pyrrhic — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ (of a victory) won at too great a cost to have been worthwhile for the victor. ORIGIN named after Pyrrhus, a king of Epirus whose victory over the Romans in 279 BC incurred heavy losses … English terms dictionary
Pyrrhic — adjective Etymology: Pyrrhus, king of Epirus who sustained heavy losses in defeating the Romans Date: 1885 achieved at excessive cost < a Pyrrhic victory >; also costly to the point of negating or outweighing expected benefits < a great but… … New Collegiate Dictionary
Pyrrhic — For other uses, see Pyrrhichios (ancient war dance), Pyrrhus of Epirus, Pyrrhic victory, and Pyrrha. Metrical feet Disyllables ˘ ˘ pyrrhus, dibrach … Wikipedia
Pyrrhic — adjective achieved at excessive cost Although this syndrome is thought to resemble patterns of Pyrrhic revenge See Also: Pyrrhic victory … Wiktionary
pyrrhic — pyrrhic1 /pir ik/, Pros. adj. 1. consisting of two short or unaccented syllables. 2. composed of or pertaining to pyrrhics. n. 3. Also called dibrach. a pyrrhic foot. [1620 30; < L pyrrhichius < Gk pyrrhíchios pertaining to the pyrrhíche… … Universalium
