Corinthian: Meaning and Definition of

Co•rin•thi•an

Pronunciation: (ku-rin'thē-un), [key]
— adj.
  1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Corinth.
  2. noting or pertaining to one of the five classical orders invented in ancient Greece and similar in most respects to the Ionic but usually of slenderer proportions, and characterized by a deep capital with a round bell decorated with acanthus leaves and a square abacus with concave sides. The Corinthian capital has typically two distinct rows of acanthus leaves above which appear eight fluted sheaths, from each of which spring two scrollsof which one curls beneath a corner of the abacus as half of a volute and the other curls beneath the center of the abacus. Cf. composite (def. 3),(def. 3),(def. 1),(def. 2). See illus. under
  3. ornate, as literary style.
  4. luxurious or licentious.
  5. pertaining to or designating a style of vase painting developed in Corinth, in the 7th and early 6th centuries b.c., characterized chiefly by human, animal, and ornamental motifs, painted boldly in a black figure style on a terra-cotta ground, often arranged in tiers around the vase.
—n.
  1. a native or inhabitant of Corinth.
  2. a man about town, esp. one who lives luxuriously or, sometimes, dissolutely.
  3. an amateur yachtsman.
  4. a horse-show class in which each contestant must be a member of a recognized hunt and wear regulation hunt livery. Cf. appointment (def. 7).
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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