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Classic - 9 dictionary results

clas⋅sic

  [klas-ik]
Use Classic in a Sentence
–adjective
1. of the first or highest quality, class, or rank: a classic piece of work.
2. serving as a standard, model, or guide: the classic method of teaching arithmetic.
3. of or pertaining to Greek and Roman antiquity, esp. with reference to literature and art.
4. modeled upon or imitating the style or thought of ancient Greece and Rome: The 17th and 18th centuries were obsessed with classic ideals.
5. of or adhering to an established set of artistic or scientific standards or methods: a classic example of mid-Victorian architecture.
6. basic; fundamental: the classic rules of warfare.
7. of enduring interest, quality, or style: a classic design; classic clothes.
8. of literary or historical renown: the classic haunts of famous writers.
9. traditional or typical: a classic comedy routine.
10. definitive: the classic reference work on ornithology.
11. of or pertaining to automobiles distinguished by elegant styling, outstanding engineering, and fine workmanship that were built between about 1925 and 1948.
–noun
12. an author or a literary work of the first rank, esp. one of demonstrably enduring quality.
13. an author or literary work of ancient Greece or Rome.
14. classics, the literature and languages of ancient Greece and Rome (often prec. by the).
15. an artist or artistic production considered a standard.
16. a work that is honored as definitive in its field: His handbook on mushrooms is a classic.
17. something noteworthy of its kind and worth remembering: His reply was a classic.
18. an article, as of clothing, unchanging in style: Her suit was a simple classic.
19. a typical or traditional event, esp. one that is considered to be highly prestigious or the most important of its kind: The World Series is the fall classic of baseball.
20. Archaic. a classicist.
Also, classical (for defs. 1–5, 8, 10).

Origin:
1605–15; (< F classique) < L classicus belonging to a class, belonging to the first or highest class, equiv. to class(is) class + -icus -ic
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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clas·sic   (klās'ĭk)   
adj.  
    1. Belonging to the highest rank or class.
    2. Serving as the established model or standard: a classic example of colonial architecture.
    3. Having lasting significance or worth; enduring.
    4. Adhering or conforming to established standards and principles: a classic piece of research.
    5. Of a well-known type; typical: a classic mistake.
    6. Formal, refined, and restrained in style.
    7. Simple and harmonious; elegant: the classic cut of a suit; the classic lines of a clipper ship.
    1. Adhering or conforming to established standards and principles: a classic piece of research.
    2. Of a well-known type; typical: a classic mistake.
    3. Formal, refined, and restrained in style.
    4. Simple and harmonious; elegant: the classic cut of a suit; the classic lines of a clipper ship.
  3. Of or characteristic of the literature, art, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome; classical.
    1. Formal, refined, and restrained in style.
    2. Simple and harmonious; elegant: the classic cut of a suit; the classic lines of a clipper ship.
  5. Having historical or literary associations: classic battlefields of the Civil War.
n.  
  1. An artist, author, or work generally considered to be of the highest rank or excellence, especially one of enduring significance.
  2. A work recognized as definitive in its field.
    1. A literary work of ancient Greece or Rome.
    2. classics The languages and literature of ancient Greece and Rome. Used with the.
    3. One that is of the highest rank or class: The car was a classic of automotive design.
  4. A typical or traditional example.
  5. Informal A superior or unusual example of its kind: The reason he gave for being late was a classic.
  6. A traditional event, especially a major sporting event that is held annually: a golf classic.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Classic

Clas"sic\, Classical \Clas"sic*al\, a. [L. classicus relating to the classes of the Roman people, and especially to the frist class; hence, of the first rank, superior, from classis class: cf. F. classique. See Class, n.]

1. Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art.

Give, as thy last memorial to the age, One classic drama, and reform the stage. --Byron.

Mr. Greaves may justly be reckoned a classical author on this subject [Roman weights and coins]. --Arbuthnot.

2. Of or pertaining to the ancient Greeks and Romans, esp. to Greek or Roman authors of the highest rank, or of the period when their best literature was produced; of or pertaining to places inhabited by the ancient Greeks and Romans, or rendered famous by their deeds.

Though throned midst Latium's classic plains. --Mrs. Hemans.

The epithet classical, as applied to ancient authors, is determined less by the purity of their style than by the period at which they wrote. --Brande & C.

He [Atterbury] directed the classical studies of the undergraduates of his college. --Macaulay.

3. Conforming to the best authority in literature and art; chaste; pure; refined; as, a classical style.

Classical, provincial, and national synods. --Macaulay.

Classicals orders. (Arch.) See under Order.

Classic

Clas"sic\, n. 1. A work of acknowledged excellence and authority, or its author; -- originally used of Greek and Latin works or authors, but now applied to authors and works of a like character in any language.

In is once raised him to the rank of a legitimate English classic. --Macaulay.

2. One learned in the literature of Greece and Rome, or a student of classical literature.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Classic
Spanish: clásico,
German: klassisch,
Japanese: 典型的な
More Translations »

classic

A descriptive term for a period in Western music, encompassing roughly the last half of the eighteenth century, that includes the works of Franz Josef Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the early works of Ludwig van Beethoven, among other composers.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Classic

C /klas'ik C/ n. [a play on `Coke Classic'] The C programming language as defined in the first edition of K&R, with some small additions. It is also known as `K&R C'. The name came into use while C was being standardized by the ANSI X3J11 committee. Also `C Classic'.

An analogous construction is sometimes applied elsewhere: thus, `X Classic', where X = Star Trek (referring to the original TV series) or X = PC (referring to IBM's ISA-bus machines as opposed to the PS/2 series). This construction is especially used of product series in which the newer versions are considered serious losers relative to the older ones.
Jargon File 4.2.0
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classic 
1613, from Fr. classique, from L. classicus "relating to the (highest) classes of the Roman people," hence, "superior," from classis (see class). Originally in Eng. "of the first class;" meaning "belonging to standard authors of Gk. and Roman antiquity" is 1628. Classics is 1711; classical is 1599, "of the highest rank." Of music, first recorded 1836.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: clas·sic
Pronunciation: 'klas-ik
Variant: or clas·si·cal /-i-k&l/
Function: adjective
: standard or recognized especially because of great frequency or consistency of occurrence classic triad of urethritis, conjunctivitis, and arthritis signaling Reiter's syndrome—Emergency Medicine>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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classic jargon
An adjective used before or after a noun to describe the original version of something, especially if the original is considered to be better.
Examples include "Star Trek Classic" - the original TV series as opposed to the films, ST The Next Generation or any of the other spin-offs and follow-ups; or "PC Classic" - IBM's ISA-bus computers as opposed to the PS/2 series.
(1996-10-27)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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