— bacchanalian , adj. , n. — bacchanalianism , n.
/bak'euh nay"lee euh, -nayl"yeuh/ , n. , pl. Bacchanalia, Bacchanalias .
1. ( sometimes used with a pl. v. ) a festival in honor of Bacchus. Cf. Dionysia .
2. ( l.c. ) a drunken feast; orgy.
[ 1625-35; Bacch ( us ) + -an ( us ) -AN + -alia, neut. pl. of -ALIS -AL 1 ; prob. modeled on volcanalia. See SATURNALIA ]