Anacreontic

American  

[uh-nak-ree-on-tik] / əˌnæk riˈɒn tɪk /

adjective

1. of or in the manner of Anacreon.

2. convivial and amatory.

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noun

1. anacreontic, an Anacreontic poem.

Anacreontic British  

/ 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

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noun

1. an Anacreontic poem

Other Word Forms

• Anacreontically adverb

Etymology

Origin of Anacreontic

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

Example Sentences

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 • Jul. 1, 2022

The day after Key arrived back in the Baltimore harbor, his lyrics for “The Anacreontic Song” were printed as a broadside titled “Defense of Fort McHenry,” and entered newspapers soon after.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 29, 2016

He wrote the poem “In Defense of Fort McHenry,” which was later set to the tune of a British song called “The Anacreontic Song” and eventually became the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

From Textbooks • Dec. 30, 2014

When he saw the American flag still waving at dawn — an improbable victory — Key penned the stirring “Defense of Fort M’Henry,” with a rhyme scheme matched to the Anacreontic Song.

From New York Times • Jun. 27, 2014

The metre is, for the most part, either the Byzantine regular twelve-syllable trimeter, or the “political” verse; more rarely the heroic and Anacreontic measures.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 5 "Greek Law" to "Ground-Squirrel" by Various