Decyphering "Face the Nation" use of "Draconian cuts".

Word Origin & History

draconian

1876 (earlier Draconic,  1680), from Draco,  Greek statesman who laid down a code of laws for Athens around 621 B.C.E. that mandated death as punishment for minor crimes. His name seems to mean (literally) "sharp-sighted" (see dragon).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

American Psychological Association (APA):

draconian. (n.d.). Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved July 03, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/draconian

Chicago Manual Style (CMS):

draconian. Dictionary.com. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/draconian (accessed: July 03, 2011).

Modern Language Association (MLA):

"draconian." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 03 Jul. 2011. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/draconian>.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE):

Dictionary.com, "draconian," in Online Etymology Dictionary. Source location: Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/draconian. Available: http://dictionary.reference.com. Accessed: July 03, 2011.

BibTeX Bibliography Style (BibTeX)

@article {Dictionary.com2011,
    title = {Online Etymology Dictionary},
    month = {Jul},
    day = {03},
    year = {2011},
    url = {http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/draconian},  

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /drəˈkəʊ.ni.ən/, /drækˈəʊ.ni.ən/, SAMPA: /dr@"k@U.ni.@n/, /dr{k"@U.ni.@n/
• (US) enPR: drə-kō'ni-ən, IPA: /drəˈkoʊ.ni.ən/, SAMPA: /dr@"koU.ni.@n/

• Audio (US)
  (file)

• Audio (US)
  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊniən

Etymology 1

From the Athenian lawmaker Draco, known for making harsh laws.

Adjective

draconian (comparative more draconian, superlative most draconian)

1. Very severe, oppressive or strict.
   

   The despot chose a draconian punishment.

   The Nazi regime was draconian.

   The mayor announced draconian budget cuts today.

Synonyms

• (very severe): cruel, hard, harsh, oppressive, rigid, strict, stringent

Translations

[show ▼]severe, oppressive or strict

Etymology 2

From Latin draco (“dragon”)

Adjective

draconian (comparative more draconian, superlative most draconian)

1. (obsolete, except in fiction) Of or resembling a dragon  [quotations ▼]

Synonyms

• (resembling a dragon): draconic, dragonlike

Translations

[show ▼]of or resembling a dragon

Anagrams

• Conradian