[ad. L. Aristarchus, a. Gr. Ἀρίσταρχος, name of a severe Greek critic of the Homeric poetry, who rejected many lines of it as spurious; hence used connotatively.] A severe critic. Aristarchian a., severely critical.
1621. Molle, Camerar. Liv. Libr., Pref. Learned and judicious Aristarchs.
1751. J. Brown, Shaftesb. Charact., 364. Who … hath chastised the noble writer somewhat roughly, and Aristarchus-like.
1820. Scott, Abbot, Introd. (1831), 5. Even the aristarch Johnson allowed that, [etc.].
1853. F. Hall, in Leslie’s Misc., II. 169. Grave aristarchs vouchsafed to accept it as matter of creed, rather than of criticism.
