pyrrhic

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   of or relating to or resembling Pyrrhus or his exploits, especially his sustaining staggering losses in order to defeat the Romans

   The abundance of casualties rendered it a pyrrhic victory.

2. 2
   adj

   of or relating to or containing a metrical foot of two unstressed syllables

   Pyrrhic verses.

3. 3
   adj

   of or relating to a war dance of ancient Greece

   Pyrrhic dance movements.

4. 4
   adj

   Alternative letter-case form of Pyrrhic (“achieved at too great a cost”).

   Huwawa is slain; the victors triumph, but the victory is to be a pyrrhic one for Gilgamesh, for the gods have met in counsel and decreed that Enkidu should die.

From Latin pyrrhichius (“dibrach”), from πυρρίχη (purrhíkhē, “war dance”), from πυρρός (purrhós, “flame-colored, red”), from πῦρ (pûr, “fire”).

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