cothurnus

[ koh-thur-nuh s ]
/ koʊˈθɜr nəs /

noun, plural co·thur·ni [koh-thur-nahy] /koʊˈθɜr naɪ/.

a grave and elevated style of acting; tragic acting; tragedy.
Also co·thurn [koh-thurn, koh-thurn] /ˈkoʊ θɜrn, koʊˈθɜrn/.

Origin of cothurnus

1720–30; < Latin < Greek kóthornos buskin, type of boot worn by tragic actors in heroic roles

OTHER WORDS FROM cothurnus

co·thur·nal, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for cothurni

  • Suddenly Matho put on his cothurni, buckled on his brazen jacket of mail, and took his helmet.

    Salammbo |Gustave Flaubert
  • Comedians wore the socci or slippers, and tragedians the cothurni.

British Dictionary definitions for cothurni

cothurnus

cothurn (ˈkəʊθɜːn, kəʊˈθɜːn)

/ (kəʊˈθɜːnəs) /

noun plural -thurni (-ˈθɜːnaɪ) or -thurns

the buskin worn in ancient Greek tragedy

Word Origin for cothurnus

C18: from Latin, from Greek kothornos