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Glite Dictionary
Procrustes

Procrustes

9.9
A mythical giant who forces people to fit an iron bed by stretching or cutting their limbs
  • proper noun
  • /proʊˈkrʌstiːz/
  • NSFW
translation icon : Procrustes
  • Theseus defeated Procrustes, freeing the victims of his cruel and brutal practices.
  • Procrustes bed

So what was the story of Procrustes?

Examples

  • But like Procrustes with his bed, they had a frame, and they were going to fit everyone who came their way to that frame.

    Blog text (22)

  • In Greek mythology, Procrustes would force travelers to fit his iron bed by painfully adjusting their bodies.

  • He never had to sleep in that Bed of Procrustes called segregation.

    Blog text (30)

  • The story of Procrustes teaches that imposing rigid standards can have disastrous consequences.

Surface Forms

Procrustes main

Etymology

Procrustes comes from a Greek myth about a giant robber who forced people to 'fit his bed' by stretching them or cutting off their arms and legs. So the word Procrustean now means a harsh rule or plan that forces everyone into the same shape, often in an unfair or cruel way.