Word Meanings - PROCRUSTES - Book Publishers vocabulary database

A celebrated legendary highwayman of Attica, who tied his victims upon an iron bed, and, as the case required, either stretched or cut of their legs to adapt them to its length; -- whence the metaphorical phrase, the bed of Procrustes.

Related words: (words related to PROCRUSTES)

• PROCRUSTESIAN
  See PROCRUSTEAN
• WHENCEFORTH
  From, or forth from, what or which place; whence. Spenser.
• ADAPTABLE
  Capable of being adapted.
• LENGTHFUL
  Long. Pope.
• CELEBRATE
  1. To extol or honor in a solemn manner; as, to celebrate the name of the Most High. 2. To honor by solemn rites, by ceremonies of joy and respect, or by refraining from ordinary business; to observe duly; to keep; as, to celebrate a birthday.
• CELEBRATION
  The act, process, or time of celebrating. His memory deserving a particular celebration. Clarendok. Celebration of Mass is equivalent to offering Mass Cath. Dict. To hasten the celebration of their marriage. Sir P. Sidney.
• LENGTHINESS
  The state or quality of being lengthy; prolixity.
• REQUIRER
  One who requires.
• ADAPTNESS
  Adaptedness.
• LENGTHWAYS; LENGTHWISE
  In the direction of the length; in a longitudinal direction.
• STRETCHING
  from Stretch, v. Stretching course , a course or series of stretchers. See Stretcher, 2. Britton.
• ADAPTIVE
  Suited, given, or tending, to adaptation; characterized by adaptation; capable of adapting. Coleridge. -- A*dapt"ive*ly, adv.
• PHRASEOLOGIST
  A collector or coiner of phrases.
• ADAPT
  Fitted; suited. Swift.
• ADAPTATION
  1. The act or process of adapting, or fitting; or the state of being adapted or fitted; fitness. "Adaptation of the means to the end." Erskine. 2. The result of adapting; an adapted form.
• PROCRUSTES
  A celebrated legendary highwayman of Attica, who tied his victims upon an iron bed, and, as the case required, either stretched or cut of their legs to adapt them to its length; -- whence the metaphorical phrase, the bed of Procrustes.
• LEGENDARY
  1. A book of legends; a tale or parrative. Read the Countess of Pembroke's "Arcadia," a gallant legendary full of pleasurable accidents. James I. 2. One who relates legends. Bp. Lavington.
• ADAPTORIAL
  Adaptive.
• PHRASELESS
  Indescribable. Shak.
• ADAPTEDNESS
  The state or quality of being adapted; suitableness; special fitness.
• LENGTHEN
  To extent in length; to make longer in extent or duration; as, to lengthen a line or a road; to lengthen life; -- sometimes followed by out. What if I please to lengthen out his date. Dryden.
• ALENGTH
  At full length; lenghtwise. Chaucer.
• PERIPHRASE
  The use of more words than are necessary to express the idea; a roundabout, or indirect, way of speaking; circumlocution. "To describe by enigmatic periphrases." De Quincey.
• METAPHRASE
  paraphrase; meta` beyond, over + fra`zein to speak: cf. F. 1. A verbal translation; a version or translation from one language into another, word for word; -- opposed to paraphrase. Dryden. 2. An answering phrase; repartee. Mrs. Browning.
• HALF-LENGTH
  Of half the whole or ordinary length, as a picture.
• PARAPHRASER
  One who paraphrases.
• BISHOP'S LENGTH
  A canvas for a portrait measuring 58 by 94 inches. The half bishop measures 45 of 56.
• METAPHRASED
  Translated literally.