English

Alternative forms

• antick

Adjective

antic ‎(comparative more antic, superlative most antic)

1. (architecture, art) Grotesque, incongruous.
   • 2004, John Chase, Glitter Stucco and Dumpster Diving: Reflections on Building Production in the Vernacular city, page 58:

     The amusement park environment of seaside resorts such as Venice and the antic eclecticism of Greene & Greene's pre-Craftsman work all preceded the establishment of the movie colony in Hollywood.

2. Grotesque, bizarre; absurd.
   • 1865, Henry David Thoreau, Cape Cod:

     a fourth would fondly kiss and paw his companions, and sneer in their faces, with a countenance more antic than any in a Dutch droll.

   • 1599-1601, William Shakespeare, Hamlet:

     As I perchance hereafter shall think meet / To put an antic disposition on.

   • 1591-1595, William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet:

     Fetch me my rapier, boy. What dares the slave / Come hither, cover'd with an antic face, To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?

3. Obsolete form of antique.

Related terms

Translations

Noun

antic ‎(plural antics)

1. (architecture, art, obsolete) A grotesque representation of a figure; a gargoyle.
2. A caricature.
3. (often in plural) A ludicrous gesture or act; ridiculous behaviour; caper.
   • Wordsworth

     And fraught with antics as the Indian bird / That writhes and chatters in her wiry cage.

   • 1953, John Christopher, Blemish

     I saw the barren horror of your people's leisure with the million entertained by the antics of a tiny few […]

   • 2007, Jeph Jacques, Time To Add A Cute Kid To The Cast Questionable Content Number 951

     Pintsize: Wait, don’t you want to know why I’m tied up and hanging from the ceiling? / Faye: Not really. Nighty night! / Pintsize: ****! My wacky antics have jumped the shark!

4. A grotesque performer or clown, buffoon.
   • 1978, Walter C. Foreman, The Music of the Close: The Final Scenes of Shakespeare's Tragedies, page 90:

     The Grave-maker, like the professional fools and Falstaff, and like Hamlet himself, is an antic, a grotesque, one who demonstrates to men how foolish and

(Can we add an example for this sense?)

1. (animation, from "anticipation") A pose, often exaggerated, in anticipation of an action; for example, a brief squat before jumping

Translations

Verb

antic ‎(third-person singular simple present antics, present participle anticking, simple past and past participle anticked)

1. (intransitive) To perform antics, caper.
   • 1917, Jack London, Jerry of the Islands, page 54:

     Jerry no more than cocked a contemptuous quizzical eye at the mainsail anticking above him. He knew already the empty windiness of its threats,

2. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (obsolete) To make a fool of, to cause to look ridiculous.
   • c. 1603–1607, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra, Act II, Scene VII:

     Gentle lords, let's part; / You see we have burnt our cheeks: strong Enobarb / Is weaker than the wine; and mine own tongue / Splits what it speaks: the wild disguise hath almost / Antick'd us all.

3. (transitive, rare) To perform (an action) as an antic; to mimic ridiculously.
   • 1931, William Faulkner, Sanctuary, Vintage 1993, page 70:

     She unfastened her dress, her arms arched thin and high, her shadow anticking her movements.

Translations

References

• OED 2nd edition 1989
• antic in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• antic in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Anagrams

• actin
• can it

References

1. ↑ Funk, W. J., Word origins and their romantic stories, New York, Wilfred Funk, Inc.

Catalan

Etymology

Latin antiquus.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /ənˈtik/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /ənˈtik/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /anˈtik/
• Rhymes: -ik

Adjective

antic m ‎(feminine antiga, masculine plural antics, feminine plural antigues)

1. old

Old French

Etymology

Latin antiquus.

Adjective

antic m ‎(oblique and nominative feminine singular antique)

1. ancient; very old

Old Provençal

Etymology

Latin antiquus.

Adjective

antic

1. ancient; very old
   • 12th century, Bernard de Ventadour, Lancan folhon bosc e jarric

     Anc no vitz ome tan antic

     I've never seen a man so old

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowing from French antique, from Latin antiquus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈan.tik/, /anˈtik/

Adjective

antic m, n ‎(feminine singular antică, masculine plural antici, feminine and neuter plural antice)

1. ancient

Declension

Noun

antic m ‎(plural antici)

1. ancient

Declension

See also

• vechi
• demodat
• versat
• vetust