Procrustes

[ proh-kruhs-teez ]

noun

, Classical Mythology.

1. a robber who stretched or amputated the limbs of travelers to make them conform to the length of his bed. He was killed by Theseus.

Procrustes

/ prəʊˈkrʌstiːz /

noun

1. Greek myth a robber, who put travellers in his bed, stretching or lopping off their limbs so that they fitted it

Procrustes

1. A mythical Greek giant who was a thief and a murderer. He would capture travelers and tie them to an iron bed. If they were longer than the bed, he would hack off their limbs until they fit it. If they were too short, he would stretch them to the right size.

Notes

A “procrustean” method is one that relentlessly tries to shape a person, an argument, or an idea to a predetermined pattern.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Procrustes¹

C16: from Greek Prokroustēs the stretcher, from prokrouein to extend by hammering out

Example Sentences

The story does not say which of the two methods was used in his case, but there was not much to choose between them and in one way or the other Procrustes’ career ended.

From Literature

As Nassim Taleb suggests in his book “The Bed of Procrustes,” “Don’t talk about ‘progress’ in terms of longevity, safety or comfort before comparing zoo animals to those in the wilderness.”

From Forbes

“But who can pronounce Procrustes? Bad for business. Now ‘Crusty,’ anybody can say that.”

From Literature

Time, which, like Procrustes' bed, brings frocks and legs to the same length at last, heals wounds also.

From Project Gutenberg

Procrustes, you will remember, was a robber of Attica with a quaint sense of humour and a bedstead.

From Project Gutenberg