adj. & n.
adj. 1 of Byzantium or the E. Roman Empire. 2 (of a political situation etc.): a extremely complicated. b inflexible. c carried on by underhand methods. 3 Archit. & Painting of a highly decorated style developed in the Eastern Empire.
n. a citizen of Byzantium or the E. Roman Empire. Byzantinism n. Byzantinist n.
[ F byzantin or L Byzantinus f. Byzantium, later Constantinople and now Istanbul ]