Procrustes

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/prəʊˈkrʌstiːz/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(prō krus′tēz)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
Pro•crus•tes  (prō krus′tēz),USA pronunciation n. [Class. Myth.]
  1. Mythologya robber who stretched or amputated the limbs of travelers to make them conform to the length of his bed. He was killed by Theseus. Also called Damastes. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Procrustes / prəʊˈkrʌstiːz/
  1. a robber who put travellers in his bed, stretching or lopping off their limbs so that they fitted it
Etymology: 16th Century: from Greek Prokroustēs the stretcher, from prokrouein to extend by hammering out
'Procrustes' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Damastes - Procrustean - Theseus

Forum discussions with the word(s) "Procrustes" in the title:


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