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byzantine

 - 4 dictionary results

Byz⋅an⋅tine

  [biz-uhn-teen, -tahyn, bahy-zuhn-, bi-zan-tin]
Use byzantine in a Sentence
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to Byzantium.
2. of or pertaining to the Byzantine Empire.
3. noting or pertaining to the architecture of the Byzantine Empire and to architecture influenced by or imitating it: characterized by masonry construction, round arches, impost blocks, low domes on pendentives, the presence of fine, spiky foliage patterns in low relief on stone capitals and moldings, and the use of frescoes, mosaics, and revetments of fine stone to cover whole interiors.
4. Fine Arts. pertaining to or designating the style of the fine or decorative arts developed and elaborated in the Byzantine Empire and its provinces: characterized chiefly by an ecclesiastically prescribed iconography, highly formal structure, severe confinement of pictorial space to a shallow depth, and the use of rich, often sumptuous color.
5. (sometimes lowercase) complex or intricate: a deal requiring Byzantine financing.
6. (sometimes lowercase) characterized by elaborate scheming and intrigue, esp. for the gaining of political power or favor: Byzantine methods for holding on to his chairmanship.
7. of or pertaining to the Byzantine Church.
–noun
8. a native or inhabitant of Byzantium.
Origin:
1590–1600; < LL Bȳzantīnus of Byzantium; see -ine 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Byz·an·tine   (bĭz'ən-tēn', -tīn', bĭ-zān'tĭn)   
adj.  

    1. Of or relating to the ancient city of Byzantium.

    2. Of or relating to the Byzantine Empire.

    3. Of the Eastern Orthodox Church or the rites performed in it.

    4. Of a Uniat church that maintains the worship of the Eastern Orthodox Church or the rites performed in it.

    5. Of, relating to, or characterized by intrigue; scheming or devious: "a fine hand for Byzantine deals and cozy arrangements" (New York).

    6. Highly complicated; intricate and involved: a bill to simplify the byzantine tax structure.

  2. Of or belonging to the style of architecture developed from the fifth century A.D. in the Byzantine Empire, characterized especially by a central dome resting on a cube formed by four round arches and their pendentives and by the extensive use of surface decoration, especially veined marble panels, low relief carving, and colored glass mosaics.

  3. Of the painting and decorative style developed in the Byzantine Empire, characterized by formality of design, frontal stylized presentation of figures, rich use of color, especially gold, and generally religious subject matter.

    1. Of the Eastern Orthodox Church or the rites performed in it.

    2. Of a Uniat church that maintains the worship of the Eastern Orthodox Church or the rites performed in it.

    3. Of, relating to, or characterized by intrigue; scheming or devious: "a fine hand for Byzantine deals and cozy arrangements" (New York).

    4. Highly complicated; intricate and involved: a bill to simplify the byzantine tax structure.

  5. often byzantine

    1. Of, relating to, or characterized by intrigue; scheming or devious: "a fine hand for Byzantine deals and cozy arrangements" (New York).

    2. Highly complicated; intricate and involved: a bill to simplify the byzantine tax structure.

n.  A native or inhabitant of Byzantium or the Byzantine Empire.
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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Word Origin & History

Byzantine 
1599, from L. Byzantinus, originally used of art style; later in reference to the complex, devious, and intriguing character of the royal court of Constantinople.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Computing Dictionary

Byzantine jargon, architecture
A term describing any system that has so many labyrinthine internal interconnections that it would be impossible to simplify by separation into loosely coupled or linked components.
The city of Byzantium, later renamed Constantinople and then Istanbul, and the Byzantine Empire were vitiated by a bureaucratic overelaboration bordering on lunacy: quadruple banked agencies, dozens or even scores of superfluous levels and officials with high flown titles unrelated to their actual function, if any.
Access to the Emperor and his council was controlled by powerful and inscrutable eunuchs and by rival sports factions.
[Edward Gibbon, "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire"].
(1999-01-15)

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