cadmean · adj — of or relating to Cadmus, a mythical prince of Thebes, said to have introduced the Phoenician alphabet into Greece. It carries an Arena rating of 1334, earned across 234 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, cadmean ranks #4,936 of 17,146 for Most Storied Words, #5,076 of 17,130 for Most Ponderous Words, #8,156 of 17,177 for Most Whimsical Words, #8,426 of 17,205 for The Improbable.
Why “cadmean” is a great word
CADMEAN — [Adjective] Of or pertaining to Cadmus, the legendary founder of Thebes, or describing a victory secured through catastrophic, self-crippling expense. From the Latin Cadmēus (from Greek Kadmeios, "of Cadmus") + the English suffix -an. Unlike "Pyrrhic," which denotes a military triumph so devastating it equals defeat, or "Theban," which pertains merely to the city, Cadmean evokes a more foundational, mythological ruin. It is the dragon's teeth sown into the earth, the armed men springing fully formed from the soil to kill one another, and the glorious city founded upon a fratricidal slaughter—a reminder that some foundations are laid not with stone, but with blood.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From Cadm(us) + -ean and Cadm(ea) + -ean.
adj
- Of or relating to Cadmus, a mythical prince of Thebes, said to have introduced the Phoenician alphabet into Greece.
- Of or from Cadmea.
noun
- A person from Cadmea.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
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