strəˈfid noun
an ancient method of writing in which the lines run alternately from right to left and from left to right.
Origin:
1775–85; < Greek boustrophēdón literally, like ox-turning (in plowing), equivalent to bou- (stem of boûs) ox + -strophē- (see strophe) + -don adv. suffix
1775–85; < Greek boustrophēdón literally, like ox-turning (in plowing), equivalent to bou- (stem of boûs) ox + -strophē- (see strophe) + -don adv. suffix
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To Boustrophedon
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World English Dictionary
boustrophedon (ˌbuːstrəˈfiːdən, ˌbaʊ-) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| having alternate lines written from right to left and from left to right | |
| [C17: from Greek, literally: turning as in ploughing with oxen, from bous ox + -strophēdon from strephein to turn; see | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Boustrophedon
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
boustrophedon
1783, ancient form of writing with lines alternately written left-to-right and right-to-left, from Gk., lit. "turning as an ox in plowing," from bous "ox" + strephein "to turn" (see strophe).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
boustrophedon
n. [from a Greek word for turning like an ox while plowing] An ancient method of writing using alternate left-to-right and right-to-left lines. This term is actually philologists' techspeak and typesetters' jargon. Erudite hackers use it for an optimization performed by some computer typesetting software and moving-head printers. The adverbial form `boustrophedonically' is also found (hackers purely love constructions like this).
Jargon
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
boustrophedon
the writing of alternate lines in opposite directions, one line from left to right and the next from right to left. Some Etruscan texts are written in boustrophedon style, as are some Greek ones of about the 6th century BC. The word is from the Greek boustrophedon, meaning literally "to turn like oxen" (in plowing).
Learn more about boustrophedon with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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