aorist

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a·o·rist

(ā′ər-ĭst)

1. A form of a verb in some languages, such as Classical Greek, that expresses action without indicating its completion or continuation.

2. A form of a verb in some languages, such as Classical Greek or Sanskrit, that in the indicative mood expresses past action.

[From Greek aoristos, indefinite, aorist tense : a-, not; see a-¹ + horistos, definable (from horizein, to define; see horizon).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

aorist

(ˈeɪərɪst; ˈɛərɪst)

(Grammar) grammar a tense of the verb in classical Greek and in certain other inflected languages, indicating past action without reference to whether the action involved was momentary or continuous. Compare perfect⁸, imperfect⁴

[C16: from Greek aoristos not limited, from a-¹ + horistos restricted, from horizein to define]

ˌaoˈristic adj

ˌaoˈristically adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

a•o•rist

(ˈeɪ ə rɪst)

n.

1. a verb tense, as in Classical Greek, expressing action, esp. in the past, without further implication as to completion, duration, or repetition.

adj.

2. of or in this tense.

[1575–85; < Greek aóristos unlimited]

a`o•ris′tic, adj.

a`o•ris′ti•cal•ly, adv.

aorist

A simple past tense, especially in ancient Greek, that does not imply continuance or momentariness.

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Noun

aorist - a verb tense in some languages (classical Greek and Sanskrit) expressing action (especially past action) without indicating its completion or continuation

tense - a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time

Translations

Aorist

αόριστος

aoriste

aoristni

aoristo

aorist

[ˈɛərɪst] N → aoristo m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

aorist

n → Aorist m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

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References in periodicals archive ?

Whereas one thinks of a snapshot in the aorist tense, the individual snapshots that Sartre has gathered together provide instead a gerundive sense of the ancient world, illustrating the unity of the Greek world through its diversity and through time.

Histoires Grecques: Snapshots from Antiquity

Literally Jesus entered the house in order "to stay" (meinai; aorist tense of the verb, therefore prolonged action), the probability of going up to Jerusalem on the same day being remote.