GOTHIC

gothic

(adjective) characterized by gloom and mystery and the grotesque; “gothic novels like ‘Frankenstein’”

medieval, mediaeval, gothic

(adjective) as if belonging to the Middle Ages; old-fashioned and unenlightened; “a medieval attitude toward dating”

Gothic

(adjective) of or relating to the Goths; “Gothic migrations”

Gothic

(adjective) of or relating to the language of the ancient Goths; “the Gothic Bible translation”

Gothic

(adjective) characteristic of the style of type commonly used for printing German

Gothic, Gothic architecture

(noun) a style of architecture developed in northern France that spread throughout Europe between the 12th and 16th centuries; characterized by slender vertical piers and counterbalancing buttresses and by vaulting and pointed arches

Gothic, black letter

(noun) a heavy typeface in use from 15th to 18th centuries

Gothic

(noun) extinct East Germanic language of the ancient Goths; the only surviving record being fragments of a 4th-century translation of the Bible by Bishop Ulfilas

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Proper noun

Gothic

An extinct Germanic language, once spoken by the Goths.

Adjective

Gothic (comparative more Gothic, superlative most Gothic)

Of or relating to the Goths or their language. [from 1611]

(figuratively) Barbarous, rude, unpolished, belonging to the “Dark Ages”, medieval as opposed to classical.

Synonyms: barbarous, medieval, rude, unpolished

Antonym: classical

(architecture) Of or relating to the architectural style favored in Western Europe in the 12th to 16th centuries, with high-pointed arches, clustered columns, etc. [from 1640s]

Coordinate terms: Romanesque, Baroque

(literature) Of or relating to the style of fictional writing associated with the Gothic revival, emphasizing violent or macabre events in a mysterious, desolate setting. [from early 19th c.]

(typography, England) Of the name of type formerly used to print, at last, German, also known as black letter.

(typography, USA) Of a sans serif typeface using straight, even-width lines, also known as grotesque.

Of or relating to the goth subculture, music or lifestyle. [from 1980s]

Synonym: goth

Coordinate terms: punk, post-punk, industrial

Noun

Gothic (plural Gothics)

A novel written in the Gothic style.

Adjective

gothic (comparative more gothic, superlative most gothic)

Alternative letter-case form of Gothic

Source: Wiktionary

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Goth"ic, a. Etym: [L. Gothicus: cf. F. gothique.]

1. Pertaining to the Goths; as, Gothic customs; also, rude; barbarous.

2. (Arch.)

Definition: Of or pertaining to a style of architecture with pointed arches, steep roofs, windows large in proportion to the wall spaces, and, generally, great height in proportion to the other dimensions -- prevalent in Western Europe from about 1200 to 1475 a. d. See Illust. of Abacus, and Capital.

Goth"ic, n.

1. The language of the Goths; especially, the language of that part of the Visigoths who settled in Moesia in the 4th century. See Goth.

Note: Bishop Ulfilas or Walfila translated most of the Bible into Gothic about the Middle of the 4th century. The portion of this translaton which is preserved is the oldest known literary document in any Teutonic language.

2. A kind of square-cut type, with no hair lines.

Note: This is Nonpareil GOTHIC.

3. (Arch.)

Definition: The style described in Gothic, a., 2.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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