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his·tri·on·ic

(hĭs′trē-ŏnĭk) also his·tri·on·i·cal (-ĭ-kəl)

adj.

1. Of or relating to actors or acting: "The specific innovations of the commedia dell'arte were not in the domain of narrative and characterization, but in its unique stress on the histrionic abilities of the actors" (Eli Rozik).

2. Excessively dramatic or emotional; affected: "Next Father Brackin tackled a topic that was discussed in confidential—sometimes histrionic—tones around the seminary: end-of-the-year evaluations" (Jonathan Englert).

[Late Latin histriōnicus, from Latin histriō, histriōn-, actor, probably of Etruscan origin.]

his′tri·oni·cal·ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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