heteroclite

1 of 2

noun

het·ero·clite ˈhe-tə-rə-ˌklīt

plural heteroclites

linguistics

: a word that is irregular in inflection

in Indo-European languages : a noun possessing heteroclitic inflection

: one that deviates from common forms or rules

heteroclite

2 of 2

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Late Latin heterocliton, noun derivative from neuter of heteroclitos "irregularly inflected" — more at heteroclite entry 2

Adjective

borrowed from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French ethroclite, etroclite, hetheroclite "strange, unusual, irregularly declined," borrowed from Late Latin heteroclitos "irregularly inflected," borrowed from Greek heteróklitos, from hetero- hetero- + -klitos, verbal adjective of klī́nein "to cause to lean, put at a slant, inflect (parts of speech)" — more at lean entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of heteroclite was in 1580

See more words from the same year