Procrustes
[ proh-kruhs-teez ]
/ proʊˈkrʌs tiz /
noun Classical Mythology.
a 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.
Example sentences from the Web for procrustes
British Dictionary definitions for procrustes
Procrustes
/ (prəʊˈkrʌstiːz) /
noun
Greek myth
a robber, who put travellers in his bed, stretching or lopping off their limbs so that they fitted it
Word Origin for Procrustes
C16: from Greek
Prokroustēs the stretcher, from
prokrouein to extend by hammering out
Cultural definitions for procrustes
Procrustes
[ (proh-krus-teez) ]
A mythical Greek giant who was a thief and a murderer. He would capture travelers and tie them to an iron bed. If they were longer than the bed, he would hack off their limbs until they fit it. If they were too short, he would stretch them to the right size.
notes for Procrustes
A “procrustean” method is one that relentlessly tries to shape a person, an argument, or an idea to a predetermined pattern.