Dra·co·ni·an

[drey-koh-nee-uhn, druh-]
adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Draco or his code of laws.
2.
( often lowercase ) rigorous; unusually severe or cruel: Draconian forms of punishment.
Also, Draconic.

Origin:
1810–20; < Latin Dracōn- (stem of Draco) + -ian

Related forms
Dra·co·ni·an·ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To draconian
Collins
World English Dictionary
draconian or draconic (dreɪˈkəʊnɪən, dreɪˈkɒnɪk) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—adj
1.  of or relating to Draco, 7th-century Athenian statesman and lawmaker, or his code of laws, which prescribed death for almost every offence
2.  harsh: draconian legislation
 
draconic or draconic
 
—adj
 
dra'conianism or draconic
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Draconian is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

draconian
1876 (earlier Draconic, 1680), from Draco, Gk. statesman who laid down a code of laws for Athens 621 B.C.E. that mandated death as punishment for minor crimes. His name seems to mean lit. "sharp-sighted" (see dragon).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Partners:WordBloglinesCitysearchThe Daily BeastAsk AnswersAsk KidsLife123SendoriHome Advisor
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
About PRIVACY POLICY Terms API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Suggest a Word Help
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT