Advertisement

Bacchanalian (adj.)

1560s, "characterized by intemperate drinking;" see Bacchanalia + -an. From 1620s as "pertaining to Bacchanals." As a noun from 1610s, "participant in the Bacchanalia."

Entries related to Bacchanalian

Bacchanalia (n.)
"drunken revelry," 1630s, from the name of the Roman festival held in honor of Bacchus, from neuter plural of Latin bacchanalis "having to do with Bacchus" (q.v.); the festivals became so notorious for excess that they were forbidden by the Senate 186 B.C.E. A participant is a Bacchant (1690s), fem. Bacchante, from French. The plural of both is Bacchantes.
-an 
word-forming element meaning "pertaining to," from Latin -anus, adjective suffix, in some cases via French -ain, -en. From PIE *-no-.

Others are reading

Advertisement
Advertisement
Definitions of Bacchanalian from WordNet

bacchanalian (adj.)
used of riotously drunken merrymaking;
a night of bacchanalian revelry
Synonyms: bacchanal / bacchic / carousing / orgiastic
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near Bacchanalian

baccalaureate

baccarat

Bacchae

Bacchanal

Bacchanalia

Bacchanalian

Bacchus

bach

bachelor

bachelorette

bacilli

© 2001-2021 Douglas Harper