bacchant

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: bac=chant

CIDE DICTIONARY

bacchant, n. [L. bacchans, -antis, p. pr. of bacchari to celebrate the festival of Bacchus.].

•  A priest of Bacchus.  [1913 Webster]
•  A bacchanal; a reveler.  Croly.  [1913 Webster]

bacchant, a. 

 Bacchanalian; fond of drunken revelry; wine-loving; reveling; carousing.  Byron.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

bacchant, n. & adj.
--n. (pl. bacchants or bacchantes; fem. bacchante)
1 a priest, worshipper, or follower of Bacchus.
2 a drunken reveller.
--adj.
1 of or like Bacchus or his rites.
2 riotous, roistering.

Derivative

bacchantic adj.

Etymology

F bacchante f. L bacchari celebrate Bacchanal rites