sapphic

adjective

sap·phic | \ ˈsa-fik

Definition of sapphic

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 capitalized : of or relating to the Greek lyric poet Sappho

2 : of, relating to, or consisting of a 4-line strophe made up of chiefly trochaic and dactylic feet

3 : lesbian sense 2

sapphic

noun

Definition of sapphic (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a verse having the metrical pattern of one of the first three lines of a sapphic strophe

2 : a sapphic strophe

Sapphic and Greek Poet Sappho

The poet Sappho wrote poems of self-reflection but also of passion, some of it directed to the women attending the school she conducted on the Greek island of Lesbos around 600 B.C. Even though most of the poems survive only as fragments, they have been greatly admired for many centuries. They were written in an original rhythmical pattern, which has become known as sapphic verse. Later admirers, such as the Roman poets Catullus and Horace, honored her by adopting the sapphic meter for their own poetry. Because of Sappho, the island of Lesbos also gave its name to lesbianism, which writers often used to call sapphic love.

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More Definitions for sapphic

sapphic

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of sapphic

formal + literary : of or relating to sexual relations between women

See the full definition for sapphic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

sapphic

adjective or noun

sap·phic | \ ˈsaf-ik

Medical Definition of sapphic

: lesbian

sapphic

Definition of sapphic

Sapphic and Greek Poet Sappho

First Known Use of sapphic

English Language Learners Definition of sapphic

Medical Definition of sapphic

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