gothic

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
12
Words With Friends
13
Letters
6
Pronunciation
/ˈɡɒθ.ɪk/
See all 2 pronunciations
/ˈɡɒθ.ɪk/ · /ˈɡɑ.θɪk/

Definition of gothic

12 senses · 3 parts of speech · etymology included

name

  1. An extinct Germanic language, once spoken by the Goths.
See all 12 definitions

name

  1. An extinct Germanic language, once spoken by the Goths.
  2. Certain moths of the family Noctuidae.
  3. A particular species of moth of the family Noctuidae, Naenia typica.

adj

  1. Of or relating to the Goths or their language.
  2. (figuratively)Barbarous, rude, unpolished, belonging to the “Dark Ages”, medieval as opposed to classical.
    ““[W]hat he holds of all things to be most gothic, is gallantry to the women.””
    “Enormities which gleam like comets through the darkness of gothic and superstitious ages.”
  3. Of or relating to the architectural style favored in Western Europe in the 12th to 16th centuries, with high-pointed arches, clustered columns, etc.
    “Gothic arches”
    “Or does the L.C.C. [London County Council] dislike nineteenth century Gothic?”
    “The Gothic style did not cease to exist: it did, however, cease to be all-powerful, and it almost ceased to create new forms. Gothic architects had by this time drawn every possible conclusion from the premises which had been laid down […]”
  4. Of or relating to the style of fictional writing associated with Gothic fiction, emphasizing violent or macabre events in a mysterious, desolate setting.
    “Gothic tales”
    “Shelley's two early novels Zastrozzi and St. Irvyne are, as many scholars have noted, obviously connected to the tradition of the Gothic novel; as well, two volumes of early poetry contain Gothic elements and his tragedy The Cenci has been […]”
  5. (England)Synonym of black letter.
    “Gothic letters”
  6. (US)Of a sans serif typeface using straight, even-width lines, also known as grotesque or lineal.
  7. Of or relating to the goth subculture, music or lifestyle.
    “Gothic rock”
    “Gothic dress”
    “Why is this gothic glam so popular?”
  8. (alt-of)Alternative letter-case form of Gothic.
    “Frant and Etchingham [station buildings] are more flamboyantly gothic and are built of ragstone.”
    “By now South Koreans understand Pyongyang’s logic and know North Korea is highly unlikely to make good on its gothic threats.”

noun

  1. A novel written in the Gothic style.
    “One hundred fifty Gothics sold over 1.5 million copies a month last spring.”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From Late Latin gothicus (“Gothic, barbaric”), from Ancient Greek Γοτθικός (Gotthikós), from Ancient Greek Γότθοι (Gótthoi, “Goths”) + -ικός (-ikós, “-ic”), proposed to derive from unattested Gothic *𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌰 (*guta). Equivalent…

See full etymology

From Late Latin gothicus (“Gothic, barbaric”), from Ancient Greek Γοτθικός (Gotthikós), from Ancient Greek Γότθοι (Gótthoi, “Goths”) + -ικός (-ikós, “-ic”), proposed to derive from unattested Gothic *𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌰 (*guta). Equivalent to Goth + -ic. The various usages of the adjective are introduced nearly simultaneously in the first half of the 17th century. The literal meaning “of the Goths” is found in the 1611 preface of the King James Bible, in reference to the Gothicke tongue. The generalized meaning of “Germanic, Teutonic” appears in the 1640s. Reference to the medieval period in Western Europe, and specifically the architecture of that period (“barbaric style”, initially a term of abuse), also appears in the 1640s, as does reference to “Gothic characters” or “Gothic letters” in typography.

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