georgic

1 of 2

noun

geor·​gic ˈjȯr-jik 

: a poem dealing with agriculture

georgic

2 of 2

adjective

: agricultural

Did you know?

The adjective "georgic," which dates from the first half of the 18th century, derives by way of Latin georgicus and Greek geōrgikos from the Greek noun geōrgos, meaning "farmer." That noun, in turn, was formed by a combination of the prefix geō- (meaning "earth") and "ergon" ("work"), the latter of which gave us words such as "allergy" and "ergonomics." There is also a noun "georgic" (dating from the early 16th century) which refers to a poem that deals with the practical aspects of agriculture and rural affairs. The standard for such poems, Virgil's Georgics, is responsible for its name. That poem, written between 37 and 30 B.C., called for a restoration of agricultural life in Italy after its farms fell into neglect during civil war.

Examples of georgic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And so the community would persist, a tableau of georgic calm sealed inside the bottle of a company town. —Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun

the Georgics, poem by Virgil, from Latin georgicus

Adjective

Latin georgicus, from Greek geōrgikos, from geōrgos farmer, from geō- ge- + ergon work — more at work

First Known Use

Noun

1513, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

circa 1720, in the meaning defined above

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