Dictionary

acropolis en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• əkrŏʹpəlĭs (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• (US) audio
• /əˈkɹɒpəlɪs/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀκρόπολις (akrópolis), from ἄκρος (ákros, “topmost”, “tip”, “summit”) + πόλις (pólis, “city”); By surface analysis, acro- + -polis.

Meanings

1. A promontory (usually fortified with a citadel) forming the hub of many Grecian cities, and around which many were built for defensive purposes before and during the classical period; compare Acropolis.
   • The Etruscans, then, appear in general as an industrious people ( φιλότεχνον ἔθνος), of a bold and lofty spirit of enterprise, which was greatly favoured by their priestly aristocratic constitution. Massive walls, mostly of irregular blocks, surround their cities (not merely their acropoleis); the art of protecting the country from inundations by the construction of canals, and outlets from lakes, was very zealously practised by them. 1850, Karl Otfried Müller, John Leitch, transl., Ancient Art and Its Remains; or, A Manual of the Archæology of Art, page 146:

Forms

Relateds

acropoli · acropolitan

Translations (21)

es acrópolis (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · cs akropolis (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · fi akropolis (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · mk а́кропол (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · cmn 衛城 /卫城 (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · pl akropol (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · ka აკროპოლისი (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · eu akropoli (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · el ακρόπολη (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · grc ἀκρόπολις (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · eo akropolo (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · ro acropolă (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · ca acròpolis (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · id akropolis (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · tr akropolis (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · pt acrópole (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · fr acropole (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · tl akropolis (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · ru акрополь (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · hy ակրոպոլիս (promontory of Ancient Greek cities) · cs akropole (promontory of Ancient Greek cities)