Anacreontic

[ uh-nak-ree-on-tik ]

adjective

1. of or in the manner of Anacreon.
2. convivial and amatory.

noun

1. anacreontic, an Anacreontic poem.

Anacreontic

/ əˌnækrɪˈɒntɪk /

adjective

1. in the manner of the Greek lyric poet Anacreon (?572–?488 bc ), noted for his short songs celebrating love and wine
2. (of verse) in praise of love or wine; amatory or convivial

noun

1. an Anacreontic poem

Derived Forms

• Aˌnacreˈontically, adverb

Other Words From

• A·nacre·onti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of Anacreontic¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin Anacreōnticus, equivalent to Anacreōnt- (from Greek Anakreōnt-, stem of Anakréōn ) Anacreon + -icus adjective suffix; -ic

Example Sentences

The Georgetown lawyer and future D.C. district attorney didn’t write the lyrics on the back of an envelope — he had days stuck on his truce ship to compose it at a writing desk — and he consciously wrote it to the already familiar melody of “The Anacreontic Song,” the anthem of the London club of the same name which was already a popular template for America’s songwriters.

From Washington Post

As a musicologist, he has the vocabulary to bring melodies and specific performances alive with words, a skill he deftly uses to parse examples as diverse as the tune of the Anacreontic Song and Jimi Hendrix’s epic “Banner” performance at Woodstock.

From Washington Post

This was not a “drinking song” but, rather, an intentionally challenging piece ritualistically performed at each meeting of the Anacreontic Society since its composition for that purpose in the 18th century.

From Washington Post

Around 1776, the English composer John Stafford Smith wrote the tune “To Anacreon in Heaven” for the Anacreontic Society, a British gentlemen’s club that gathered regularly for dinners and concerts.

From The New Yorker

Around the turn of the nineteenth century, “The Anacreontic Song” emerged as a vehicle for voicing partisanship in the new United States.

From The New Yorker