bacchanal

English

WOTD – 21 January 2012    

Alternative forms

• Bacchanal

Etymology

From Latin Bacchānālis (“of or pertaining to Bacchus”). See Bacchanalia.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈbækənəl/

Adjective

bacchanal (comparative more bacchanal, superlative most bacchanal)

1. Relating to Bacchus or his festival.
   • 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, I:

     Sweet is the vintage, when the showering grapes / In Bacchanal profusion reel to earth, / Purple and gushing [...].

2. Engaged in drunken revels; drunken and riotous or noisy.

Translations

relating to Bacchus or his festival

• Catalan: bacanal (ca)

• Russian: вакхический (ru) (vakxíčeskij)

engaged in drunken revels; drunken and riotous or noisy

• Catalan: bacanal (ca)
• Russian: разгульный (ru) (razgúlʹnyj)

• Serbo-Croatian: баханалије (sh) pl

Noun

bacchanal (plural bacchanals)

1. A devotee of Bacchus; one who indulges in drunken revels; one who is noisy and riotous when intoxicated; a carouser.
   • Shakespeare:

     Tipsy bacchanals.

2. (in the plural) The festival of Bacchus; the bacchanalia.
3. Drunken revelry; an orgy.
4. A song or a dance in honor of Bacchus.

Translations

a devotee of Bacchus; one who indulges in drunken revels; one who is noisy and riotous when intoxicated; a carouser

• Russian: гуляка (ru) (guljáka) m and f, кутила (ru) (kutíla) m and f

drunken revelry; an orgy

• Catalan: bacanal (ca) f
• Russian: вакханалия (ru) (vakxanálija) f, (пья́ный) разгул (ru) (razgúl) m

• Swedish: backanal (sv) c