Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
dictionary thesaurus view recents

orthian

adjective
Save Word
or·​thi·​an | \ ˈȯ(r)thēən \

Definition of orthian

: characterized by high pitch —used of a style of singing or a tune

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

History and Etymology for orthian

Greek orthios steep, high-pitched, from orthos straight + English -an

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about orthian

Statistics for orthian

Cite this Entry

“Orthian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orthian. Accessed 24 May. 2020.

Comments on orthian

What made you want to look up orthian? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

xeriscape

Listen to the pronunciation of xeriscape

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Obscure Shapes

  • a pile of three dimensional shapes in green
  • Something that is ooid is shaped like:
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Citation

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games