ˈrəumən adj. & n. --adj. 1 a of ancient Rome or
its territory or
people. b
archaic of its
language. 2 of
medieval or
modern Rome. 3 of
papal Rome,
esp. = ROMAN
CATHOLIC. 4 of a kind ascribed to
the early Romans (Roman
honesty; Roman virtue). 5 surviving
from a
period of Roman
rule (Roman road). 6 (roman) (of type) of a plain
upright kind used in
ordinary print. 7 (of the
alphabet etc.) based on the ancient Roman
system with letters A-Z. --n. 1 a a
citizen of the ancient Roman
Republic or
Empire. b a
soldier of the Roman Empire. 2 a citizen of modern Rome. 3 = ROMAN CATHOLIC. 4 (roman) roman
type. 5 (in pl.) the Christians of ancient Rome. øHoly Roman Empire the
Western part of the Roman Empire as revived by Charlemagne in 800. Roman
candle a
firework discharging a
series of
flaming coloured balls
and sparks. Roman Empire
hist.
that established by Augustus in 27 BC and divided by Theodosius in AD 395
into the Western or
Latin and
Eastern or
Greek Empire. Roman
holiday enjoyment derived from others' discomfiture. Roman
law the law-code developed by the ancient Romans and forming the
basis of
many modern codes. Roman
nose one with a
high bridge; an
aquiline nose. roman
numeral any of the Roman letters representing numbers: I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1000. [ME f. OF Romain (n. & adj.) f. L Romanus f. Roma Rome]
