BYZANTINE
Byzantine, convoluted, involved, knotty, tangled, tortuous
(adjective) highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious; “the Byzantine tax structure”; “Byzantine methods for holding on to his chairmanship”; “convoluted legal language”; “convoluted reasoning”; “the plot was too involved”; “a knotty problem”; “got his way by labyrinthine maneuvering”; “Oh, what a tangled web we weave”- Sir Walter Scott; “tortuous legal procedures”; “tortuous negotiations lasting for months”
Byzantine
(adjective) of or relating to or characteristic of the Byzantine Empire or the ancient city of Byzantium
Byzantine
(adjective) of or relating to the Eastern Orthodox Church or the rites performed in it; “Byzantine monks”; “Byzantine rites”
Byzantine
(noun) a native or inhabitant of Byzantium or of the Byzantine Empire
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
Byzantine (comparative more Byzantine, superlative most Byzantine)
Of or pertaining to Byzantium.
(history) Belonging to the civilization of the Eastern Roman empire between 331, when its capital was moved to Constantinople, and 1453, when that capital was conquered by the Turks and ultimately renamed Istanbul.
(architecture) Of a style of architecture prevalent in the Eastern Empire down to 1453, marked by the round arch springing from columns or piers, the dome supported upon pendentives, capitals elaborately sculptured, mosaic or other encrustations, etc.
Overly complex or intricate.
Of a devious, usually stealthy, manner or practice.
(Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholic) of or relating to the Byzantine Rite or any of the many Eastern Orthodox churches and Greek Catholic churches that use this rite for their liturgical celebrations
Noun
Byzantine (plural Byzantines)
(historical) A native of Byzantium (modern-day Istanbul) or of the Byzantine empire
Alternative form of byzantine (coin)
A dark, metallic shade of violet
Adjective
byzantine (comparative more byzantine, superlative most byzantine)
Alternative spelling of Byzantine
Noun
byzantine (plural byzantines)
(historical) A byzant (coin).
Source: Wiktionary
Byz"ant, Byz"an*tine n.Etym: [OE. besant, besaunt, F. besant, fr. LL.
Byzantius, Byzantinus, fr. Byzantium.] (Numis.)
Definition: A gold coin, so called from being coined at Byzantium. See
Bezant.
By*zan"tine, a.
Definition: Of or pertaining to Byzantium.
– n.
Definition: A native or inhabitant of Byzantium, now Constantinople;
sometimes, applied to an inhabitant of the modern city of
Constantinople. [ Written also Bizantine.] Byzantine church, the
Eastern or Greek church, as distinguished from the Western or Roman
or Latin church.See under Greek.
– Byzantine empire, the Eastern Roman or Greek empire from A.D. 364
or A.D. 395 to the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, A.D. 1453.
– Byzantine historians, historians and writers (Zonaras, Procopius,
etc.) who lived in the Byzantine empire. P. Cyc. Byzantine style
(Arch.), a style of architecture developed in the Byzantine empire.
Note: Its leading forms are the round arch, the dome, the pillar, the
circle, and the cross. The capitals of the pillars are the endless
variety, and full of invention. The mosque of St. Sophia,
Constantinople, and the church of St. Mark, Venice, are prominent
examples of Byzantine architecture.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition