gothic Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun extinct East Germanic language of the ancient Goths; the only surviving record being fragments of a 4th-century translation of the Bible by Bishop Ulfilas
noun a heavy typeface in use from 15th to 18th centuries
black letter.
noun a style of architecture developed in northern France that spread throughout Europe between the 12th and 16th centuries; characterized by slender vertical piers and counterbalancing buttresses and by vaulting and pointed arches
Gothic architecture.
adjective characteristic of the style of type commonly used for printing German
adjective of or relating to the language of the ancient Goths
- the Gothic Bible translation
adjective of or relating to the Goths
- Gothic migrations
adjective satellite as if belonging to the Middle Ages; old-fashioned and unenlightened
medieval; mediaeval.
- a medieval attitude toward dating
adjective satellite characterized by gloom and mystery and the grotesque
- gothic novels like `Frankenstein'

L. Gothicus: cf. F. gothique.

Pertaining to the Goths; as, Gothic customs; also, rude; barbarous.
(Arch.) Of or pertaining to a style of architecture with pointed arches, steep roofs, windows large in proportion to the wall spaces, and, generally, great height in proportion to the other dimensions -- prevalent in Western Europe from about 1200 to 1475 a. d. See Illust. of Abacus, and Capital.

The language of the Goths; especially, the language of that part of the Visigoths who settled in Moesia in the 4th century. See Goth. ✍ Bishop Ulfilas or Walfila translated most of the Bible into Gothic about the Middle of the 4th century. The portion of this translaton which is preserved is the oldest known literary document in any Teutonic language.
A kind of square-cut type, with no hair lines. ✍ This is Nonpareil GOTHIC.
(Arch.) The style described in Gothic, a., 2.