syc·o·phant P
Pronunciation Key (sk-fnt, sk-) n.
A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people.
[Latin scophanta, informer, slanderer, from Greek skophants, informer, from skon phainein, to show a fig (probably originally said of denouncers of theft or exportation of figs) : skon, fig + phainein, to show; see bh-1 in Indo-European Roots.]
syco·phantic (-fntk) or syco·phanti·cal (-t-kl) adj. syco·phanti·cal·ly adv.
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. [Buy it]
sycophant
sycophant was Word of the Day on March 27, 2000.
Source: Dictionary.com Word of the Day
sycophant
\Syc"o*phant\, n. [L. sycophanta a slanderer, deceiver, parasite, Gr. ? a false accuser, false adviser, literally, a fig shower; ? a fig + ? to show: cf. F. sycophante. The reason for the name is not certainly known. See Phenomenon.] 1. An informer; a talebearer. [Obs.] ``Accusing sycophants, of all men, did best sort to his nature.''
--Sir P. Sidney.
- A base parasite; a mean or servile flatterer; especially, a flatterer of princes and great men.
A sycophant will everything admire: Each verse, each sentence, sets his soul on fire. --Dryden.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
sycophant
\Syc"o*phant\, v. t. [CF. L. sycophantari to deceive, to trick, Gr. ?.] 1. To inform against; hence, to calumniate. [Obs.]
Sycophanting and misnaming the work of his adversary. --Milton.
- To play the sycophant toward; to flatter obsequiously.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
sycophant
\Syc"o*phant\, v. i. To play the sycophant.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
sycophant
n : a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage [syn: toady, crawler, lackey]
Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University
== Executive summary:
A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people.
A base parasite; a mean or servile flatterer; especially, a flatterer of princes and great men.
To flatter obsequiously.
A person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage.
A lackey.
Just Jerry
"My checkbook may be expendable, but my rights are not." - Jerry Irvine, September 2, 2003.
*plonk* to the illegal acting members/employees of the government of the United States of America. I am a citizen. I matter. I am YOUR purpose in life, and I WILL be your worst nightmare.