a. and sb. Forms: α. 7 cly-, climacterike, -ique, -ick(e, 7–9 climacterick, 7– -ic. β. 7 clymaterick(e, 8–9 climaterick, -ic. [ad. L. clīmactēric-us, a. Gr. κλῑμακτηρικός climacteric, of the nature of a critical epoch, f. κλῑμακτήρ CLIMACTER. The F. climatérique is the source of the β forms.
The former accentuation is that of Johnson, Walker, Smart, and the English orthoepists generally: some modern dictionaries give both, and some prefer clima·cteric. In verse climacte·ric has been observed in Davenant, Drummond, Ken, Young, Byron, Barham, -a·cteric in Brathwaite 17th c., Trumbull 18th c.]
A. adj.
1. Pertaining to or constituting a climacter or critical period in human life; as in climacteric year = climacteric, also = grand climacteric: see B.
1601. Holland, Pliny, VII. xlix. 182 (R.). The rule of the dangerous graduall yeers called Climactericke.
1618. Brathwait, Descr. Death, xvi. Nor stands he much vpon our dangerous yeare … Oft … When we are most secure, then Hee’s most neare, Where th’ yeare clymactericke is his Iubile.
1636. Davenant, Witts (1673), 223. Being near The danger of his Climacterick year.
1762. Young, Resignation, II. (R.). Grand climacteric vanities The vainest will despise.
1881. Syd. Soc. Lex., s.v., These [epochs of life] were contemplated by the Greek physiologists as five, and termed climacterics or climacteric periods.
b. transf. Constituting an important epoch or crisis; critical; fatal.
a. 1678. Marvell, Poems, Horat. Ode. And to all states not free Shall clymaterick be.
1680. E. F., Life Edw. II., 77. He found the Climacteric year of his Reign before he did expect it: And made that unhappy Castle, which he ever hated, the witness of his cruel Murder.
1822. Southey, Lett. (1856), III. 311. This age is as climacteric as that in which he lived.
1874. Farrar, Christ, 25. Seven great climacteric years or epochs.
2. Phys. and Med. Applied to that period of life (usually between the ages of 45 and 60) at which the vital forces begin to decline in women coinciding with the period of ‘change of life’); pertaining to this period. Climacteric disease: a disease of unknown cause which often occurs at an advanced stage of life, characterized by loss of flesh and strength, sleeplessness, etc.
1813. Sir H. Halford, in Med. Trans., IV. 316 (title), On the Climacteric Disease.
1824. Ann. Reg., Chron., 208. He was suffering from a general decay of strength—a sort of climacteric disease.
1876. Bartholow, Mat. Med. (1879), 407. At the climacteric period in women.
1879. T. Bryant, Pract. Surg., II. 246. The climacteric effacement of the breast.
3. = CLIMACTIC.
1791. E. Darwin, Bot. Gard., II. 122. Interl., The power gradually to prepare the mind of his reader by previous climacteric circumstances.
1883. J. Parker, Tyne Chylde, 258. It is the last link of a chain, it is the climacteric point.
B. sb.
1. A critical stage in human life; a point at which the person was supposed to be specially liable to change in health or fortune. According to some, all the years denoted by multiples of 7 (7, 14, 21, etc.) were climacterics: others admitted only the odd multiples of 7 (7, 21, 35, etc.); some included also the multiples of 9. Grand († great) climacteric (sometimes simply the climacteric): the 63rd year of life (63 = 7 × 9), supposed to be specially critical. (According to some, the 81st year (81 = 9 × 9) was also a grand climacteric.) The phrase appears to have been taken immediately from Spanish.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 158. This false Prophet (sore against his will) died in his sixtie third yeare (his great Clymatericke).
c. 1645. Howell, Lett., I. III. xi. It is a common … custom amongst the Spaniard, when he hath pass’d his gran climacteric … to make a voluntary resignation of offices.
1697. Dryden, Virgil, Ded. I began this Work in my great Climacterique.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 295, ¶ 1. I am turned of my great Climacteric.
1728. Morgan, Algiers, II. iv. 293. He lived to see one of those critical and reputed dangerous Periods of Human Life, Called the Gran Climacterics, dying in his sixty third Year.
1742. Fielding, J. Andrews, IV. vii. When they arrive at this period [15 yrs.], and have now passed their second climateric.
1823. Byron, Juan, X. xlvii. Her climacteric teased her like her teens.
2. transf. A critical period, point or epoch in any career or course.
c. 1630. Drumm. of Hawth., Poems, Wks. 391. Our [Scotland’s] lion’s clymacterick now is past, And crown’d with bays, he rampeth free at last.
1714. Pope, Let. Arbuthnot, 10 Sept. At her advanced age every day is a climacteric.
1798. G. Wakefield, Lett. Sir J. Scott, 7. That grand climacteric of information, when [etc.].
1829. Southey, Sir T. More, I. 18. It is your lot … to live during one of the grand climacterics of the world.
