sat|ire

sat|ire
sat|ire «SAT yr», noun.
1. the use of mockery, irony, or wit to attack or ridicule something, such as a habit, idea, or custom that is, or is considered to be, foolish or wrong: »

Satire…to tell men freely of their foulest faults, to laugh at their vain deeds and vainer thoughts (John Dryden). Satire should, like a polished razor keen, wound with a touch that's scarcely felt or seen (Lady Mary Wortley Montagu).

2. a poem, essay, story, or other literary or artistic form, that attacks or ridicules in this way: »

Jonathan Swift's “Gulliver's Travels,” in prose, is one of the greatest satires (J. N. Hook).

╂[< Middle French satire, learned borrowing from Latin satira, variant of (lanx) satura medley; (literally) mixed (dish) < satis enough]
Usage See irony for usage note. (Cf. ↑irony)

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • sat·ire — …   Useful english dictionary

  • ire — ire·ful; ire·land; ire·land·er; ire·less; ire·na; ire·si·ne; sat·ire; chesh·ire; ire; ire·ful·ly; ire·ful·ness; ire·less·ly; ire·less·ness; …   English syllables

  • sat — dev·i·sat; lang·sat; len·sat·ic; me·sat·i·pel·lic; na·sat; or·sat; sat·el·lit·ed; sat·el·lit·ism; sat·el·lit·osis; sat·i·nay; sat·i·né; sat·in·et; sat·in·ize; sat·iny; sat·ire; sat·i·rist; sat·i·rize; sat·i·riz·er; sat·is·da·tion;… …   English syllables

  • Khouit Ire — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Khouit. Khouit …   Wikipédia en Français

  • satire — sat·ire …   English syllables

  • satire — sat|ire [ˈsætaıə US taır] n [Date: 1500 1600; : French; Origin: Latin satura, satira, from (lanx) satura full plate, mixture , from satur; SATURATE] 1.) [U] a way of criticizing something such as a group of people or a system, in which you… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • satire — sat|ire [ sæ,taır ] noun uncount the use of humor to criticize someone or something and make them seem silly: political/social satire a. count a play, book, movie, etc. that uses this humor: His latest book is a biting satire on modern… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • satire — sat•ire [[t]ˈsæt aɪər[/t]] n. 1) the use of irony, sarcasm, or ridicule in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc 2) lit. a literary composition or genre in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule •… …   From formal English to slang

  • Satire — Sat ire (?; in Eng. often ?; 277), n. [L. satira, satura, fr. satura (sc. lanx) a dish filled with various kinds of fruits, food composed of various ingredients, a mixture, a medley, fr. satur full of food, sated, fr. sat, satis, enough: cf. F.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • UNITED STATES OF AMERICA — UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, country in N. America. This article is arranged according to the following outline: introduction Colonial Era, 1654–1776 Early National Period, 1776–1820 German Jewish Period, 1820–1880 East European Jewish Period,… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

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