procrustes Meaning, Definition & Usage
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noun (Greek mythology) a mythical giant who was a thief and murderer; he would capture people and tie them to an iron bed, stretching them or hacking off their legs to make them fit; was killed by Theseus
WordNet
Pro*crus"tes noun
Etymology
L., fr. Gr. , fr. to beat out, to stretch; forward + to strike.Definitions
(Gr. Antiq.) A celebrated legendary highwayman of Attica, who tied his victims upon an iron bed, and, as the case required, either stretched or cut of their legs to adapt them to its length; -- whence the metaphorical phrase, the bed of Procrustes.