I. ˈsafik, -fēk adjective
Etymology: Latin sapphicus, from Greek sapphikos, from Sapphō Sappho fl ab 600 B.C. Greek lyric poetess of Lesbos + -ikos -ic
1. usually capitalized : of or relating to the Greek lyric poetess Sappho
2. sometimes capitalized
[so called from the reputed lesbian group associated with Sappho]
: of or relating to erotic indulgence
3. sometimes capitalized
[so called from being the verse forms used by Sappho]
: of, relating to, or consisting of a four line strophe of three primarily trochaic lines made up of five equal beats of which the middle is a dactyl and the others are of two syllables and followed by an adonic
II. noun
( -s )
Usage: sometimes capitalized
1. : a sapphic strophe
2. : a line of verse having the metrical pattern of one of the first three lines of a sapphic strophe
3. : a verse composed of sapphic strophes