metaphrast

[ met-uh-frast ]

noun

1. a person who translates or changes a literary work from one form to another, as prose into verse.

metaphrast

/ ˈmɛtəˌfræst /

noun

1. a person who metaphrases, esp one who changes the form of a text, as by rendering verse into prose

Derived Forms

• ˌmetaˈphrastic, adjective
• ˌmetaˈphrastically, adverb

Other Words From

• meta·phrastic meta·phrasti·cal adjective
• meta·phrasti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of metaphrast¹

1600–10; Medieval Greek metaphrástēs one who translates, equivalent to *metaphrad-, base of metaphrázein to translate ( meta-, phrase ) + -tēs agent suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of metaphrast¹

C17: from Medieval Greek metaphrastēs translator