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draconian - 5 dictionary results
Dra⋅co⋅ni⋅an
[drey-koh-nee-uh
n, 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. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To draconian
| Dra·co 1 (drā'kō) Athenian politician who codified the laws of Athens (c. 621). Lauded for its impartiality, his code was unpopular for its severity. Dra·co'ni·an adj. |
| dra·co·ni·an (drā-kō'nē-ən, drə-) adj. Exceedingly harsh; very severe: a draconian legal code; draconian budget cuts. [After Draco.] |
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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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Draconian
Dra*co"ni*an\, a. Pertaining to Draco, a famous lawgiver of Athens, 621 b. c. Draconian code, or Draconian laws, a code of laws made by Draco. Their measures were so severe that they were said to be written in letters of blood; hence, any laws of excessive rigor.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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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, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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