cretan
cretan Lexical Profile
• adjective
Relating to the Greek island of Crete, its people, its ancient Minoan civilization, or its dialect and culture.
"Archaeologists uncovered several finely painted Cretan vases dating back to the Bronze Age."
• noun
A native or inhabitant of Crete, the largest and most populous of the Greek islands in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
"The Cretans are renowned for their traditional hospitality and longevity-promoting Mediterranean diet."
The distinctive dialect of Modern Greek spoken on the island of Crete.
"Several medieval romantic poems were composed in vernacular Cretan during the Venetian period."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse the proper noun and adjective 'Cretan' (relating to the Greek island of Crete) with the homophone 'cretin' (an offensive term for a foolish person, originally referring to a congenital thyroid deficiency).
• Rhymes for cretan
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.